Bulldogs Eliminated from Playoff Race with 1-0 Loss to Wilkes

Junior Aaron Gildner had a team-high fiev shots, including one off the crossbar, in the loss on Saturday.

Box Score

BOX SCORE

Center Valley, PA (October 31, 2009) – The DeSales University men's soccer team came close but was never able to get a shot past the Wilkes University keeper as the Colonels outlasted the Bulldogs 1-0 in a Freedom Conference game eliminating DSU from the playoff race.

The Bulldogs fall to 10-7 overall and 3-4 in the Freedom, while the Colonels improve to 8-8-1 overall and 4-2-1 in the Freedom Conference. DeSales had an 18-10 advantage in shots and 10-1 advantage in corner kicks but Kaleb Smith made six saves and the Colonels' defense cleared one ball of the line late in the game preserving the win and the shutout.

A scoreless first half saw Wilkes take a 1-0 lead at the 62:05 mark when Greg Miller scored off a crossing feed from Ed Zulkoski. The Bulldogs feverously tried to get the tying goal late in the second half but were never able to do so.

DSU had plenty of chances all game long. In the first half one Bulldog shot hit the post and caromed across the goalmouth before being cleared and in the second half junior Aaron Gildner (Slatington, PA/Parkland) hit a rocket from about 10 yards outside the box that seemed destined for the top of the net, but the ball connected head on with the cross bar and bounced back into play.

The Bulldogs final chance came late on a corner kick when senior Tony Aufiero (Wall, NJ/Wall) hit a header that was cleared off the line by a Colonel defender ending DeSales' hopes.

The Bulldogs are still eligible to play in the ECAC Tournament with the pairings scheduled to be announced on Monday, November 9^th.

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