HOBOKEN, N.J. – Senior forward Josh Ottinger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) recorded his third hat trick in four games, leading the Stevens Institute of Technology men’s soccer team to a 4-0 win over FDU-Florham on Wednesday afternoon at DeBaun Field.
Stevens, ranked 12th in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division III poll, won for the fifth straight time, improving to 11-1-1. FDU-Florham falls to 6-5.
Ottinger, who scored the first three goals of the game, has scored 10 goals in his last four games. He also scored three goals each in wins over St. Joseph’s-Patchogue (Sept. 29) and Old Westbury (Oct. 2). Ottinger, the Ducks’ all-time leading scorer, now has 13 goals and three assists for 29 points in three games.
In the first half, freshman midfielder Sean Bliss (Phoenix, Ariz./Brophy College Prep) fed a through ball into the box and Ottinger gained possession and fired a shot past FDU-Florham goalkeeper Jaryd Drucker into the lower left corner at 14:22.
FDU remained within one goal until late in the second half when Stevens junior back Tom Ficchi (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) sent a ball from the right flank into the penalty area. Freshman Mike Kaiser (Roy, Utah/Roy) controlled the ball and fed a short ball to Ottinger who scored from 12 yards at 80:30. Ottinger notched the hat trick when he tapped in a rebound of a shot by junior midfielder Brian Marks (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) that caromed off the crossbar.
Marks closed out the scoring when he dribbled in and beat Drucker for an unassisted goal in the 89th minute.
Stevens, held a 26-3 advantage in shots, received one save from sophomore goalkeeper Chris Celentano (Newton, N.J./Newton). Drucker stopped 10 shots for FDU-Florham.
Stevens returns to action on Saturday, October 9, with a 1 p.m. game against Richard Stockton College in Pomona, N.J.
STEVENS 4, FDU-FLORHAM 0
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
-------------------------------
FDU-Florham......... 0 0 - 0
Stevens............. 1 3 - 4
SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 14:22 SIT OTTINGER, Josh (BLISS, Sean)
2. 80:31 SIT OTTINGER, Josh (KAISER, Mike;FICCHI, Tom)
3. 81:24 SIT OTTINGER, Josh (MARKS, Brian)
4. 88:54 SIT MARKS, Brian (unassisted)
Shots: FDU-Florham 3, Stevens 26
Saves: FDU-Florham 10 (DRUCKER, Jaryd 10),
Stevens 1 (CELENTANO, Chris 1)
