Center Valley, PA, (November 2, 2004) – The Lycoming College men’s soccer team returned the favor of a year ago as the Warriors defeated the Bulldogs, 2-1, in the first round of the Freedom Conference playoffs on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon in Center Valley, PA.

 

        DSU had beaten Lycoming each of the last two games played between the two teams including a 2-0 win in last season’s opening round of the Freedom Conference playoffs.  The Bulldogs also defeated the Warriors 2-0 in this season’s regular season match-up.

 

        Each team dominated one half of the game with the Warriors stealing a goal in the second half that proved to be the game-winner.  In the first half, LC out-shot DeSales, 12-4, and held a 1-0 lead as Andrew Rampulla scored the first goal of the game at the 15:47 mark.  He took a goalie kick that bounced over the defense, out raced two DSU defenders and pushed it past the charging keeper into the far left corner.

 

        In the second half, DSU dominated play as they out-shot Lycoming, 10-2, but the Warriors goal in the second period proved to be too much to come back from.  Leading 1-0, junior Andrew Weber took a pass on the right side, beat a Bulldog defender and fired a bending shot just over the hand of the DSU keeper and into the top of the net.  The eventual game-winner came at the 66:35 mark.

 

        DSU had numerous chances to score and eventually did as senior Kevin Moore (Hockessin, DE/Salesianum) headed in the lone goal off a long throw in from senior James Hasher (Philadelphia, PA/Father Judge) that was headed straight to Moore from fellow senior John Rennie (Cape May Court House, NJ/Middle Township) at the 70:49 mark but could not find the tying marker.

 

        Lycoming’s goal keeper, senior Jason Fesler, was outstanding in between the pipes as he made four saves, all in the second half, to preserve the one-goal lead and eventually the win.  Freshmen Tigh Savercool (Millerstown, PA/Greenwood) and Brad Ferguson (Galloway, NJ/St. Joseph) tended net for DSU with Savercool making five saves in the first half and Ferguson not recording a save in the second half.