Bulldogs Surrender Two-Goal Lead; Eliminated from Playoff Race with Loss

Senior David Ackley scored his first goal of the season on Thursday vs. Eastern.

Box Score

BOX SCORE

Center Valley, PA (October 30, 2008) – The three-time defending Freedom Conference champion DeSales University men's soccer team will not be defending its crown this season as the Bulldogs surrendered a two-goal lead on Thursday afternoon, falling to Eastern University, 4-2, eliminating DSU from the playoff race.

DeSales (6-12, 2-5 Freedom) looked as sharp as they have all season over the first 25-30 minutes on a windy afternoon taking a 2-0 lead when seniors David Ackley (North Cape May, NJ/Lower Cape May) and Tim Hall (Montclair, VA/Bishop Ireton) each scored their first goals of the season staking the Bulldogs to the early lead.

Ackley scored off a throw-in pass from junior Dustin Sturm (North Cape May, NJ/Lower Cape May) and Hall scored on a touch of a free kick from junior Tony Aufiero (Wall, NJ/Wall) that slipped thru the Eagles (9-7-1, 3-3 Freedom) keeper's hands and into the net.

DSU was able to maintain a one-goal lead at the half after Alex Clark scored from about 25 yards out on a shot that was just under the crossbar and caromed off the GK's hands and into the net at the 35:39 mark ending the scoring for the opening half.

In the second half, the tying goal came at the 51:31 mark when a centering pass from the right corner was cleared by a DSU defender towards the goal and just crossed the goal line as the Bulldogs keeper dove to try and stop the clear attempt as Eastern found itself tied at two on an own goal.

Both teams battled over the next 20+ minutes before Alex Schweitzer scored the eventual game-winner on a spectacular shot that flew just over the keeper's hands and just under the crossbar and into the back of the net from about 35 yards out. Kyle Hurst added the insurance goal with just 52 seconds left when he sent a long shot past a charging keeper on a break-away after DSU had pushed nearly its entire lineup up field in an attempt to tie the game.

Shots were about even with DSU holding a 19-18 edge and both teams attempted four corner kicks. Juniors Keith Barry (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) and Kevin Lawrence (Norristown, PA/Kennedy-Kenrick) combined for five saves in the loss.

The Bulldogs will conclude their season on Saturday when they host King's College in a Freedom Conference game beginning at 2:30 pm.

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