Senior Steve Liebezeit recorded his fourth hat trick of the season on Wednesday.

HOBOKEN, NJ – The Stevens Institute of Technology men’s soccer team captured its fourth Skyline Conference title in the past five seasons with a 10-0 victory over Centenary College (5-11, 2-6) Wednesday afternoon at DeBaun Field in Hoboken, NJ. The Ducks won their 26th straight conference match and their ninth overall to move to 11-3-2 on the season and 8-0 in the Skyline Conference. The victory ties them with U.S. Merchant Marine Academy atop the Skyline Conference standings, which the Ducks defeated on Oct. 15 to secure the league title. 

Senior Steve Liebezeit (Pompton Lakes, NJ) recorded his fourth hat trick of the season in the victory. The senior previously achieved the feat at FDU-Florham on Sept. 17, at Old Westbury on Oct. 1, and against Manhattanville on Oct. 21. He leads the team and the Skyline Conference with 19 goals this season.

Junior Nick Gkionis (Jackson, NJ) put Stevens on the board in the seventh minute, heading in sophomore Ryan Wilkison’s (Harrisburg, PA) corner kick. Liebezeit followed with back-to-back goals in a span of 1:04 to give Stevens a 3-0 advantage in the 14th minute. Sophomore Mike Kaiser’s (Roy, UT) shot was deflected and Liebezeit collected the loose ball and punched in the score for his first goal. The senior’s second goal came in similar fashion as junior Chris McGreevy’s (Rochester Hills, MI) shot deflected off the Centenary goalkeeper’s hands and Liebezeit collected the rebound and drilled a shot from close range for the score.

Freshman Jeremy Lippel (West Orange, NJ) scored the Ducks’ next two goals in the 23rd and 29th minutes. His first goal came on low shot from nearly 15 yards out. Sophomore Sean Bliss (Phoenix, AZ) then found the freshman, who’s high shot snuck under the cross bar for his second goal of the match. Lippel continued on the offensive, this time feeding Liebezeit for his final goal of the match in the 30th minute.

Kaiser scored an unassisted goal two minutes later as Stevens headed into halftime with a 7-0 lead.

Junior George Gkionis (Jackson, NJ) opened the Ducks’ second-half scoring with a breakaway goal in the 70th minute. 

Freshmen James Mirarchi (Long Branch, NJ) and Jason Nachman (Johnson City, NY) each registered an unassisted goal to round out the Ducks’ scoring. Mirarchi sent a low shot past the keeper in the 71st minute for his third goal of the season and Nachman posted his second goal of the season in the 73rd minute, freeing himself from his defender to create space for a wide-open look and punching home the score.  

Wednesday marked the fifth time this season and second-straight match Stevens has produced 10 or more goals in a game. The Ducks also achieved the feat last time out in a 10-0 win over Mount Saint Mary, and in an 11-1 win at Old Westbury, an 11-0 win at home against Mount Saint Vincent and an 11-0 victory at home against Maritime College.

With one game remaining on its regular-season schedule, Stevens is within eight goals of tying the school’s all-time record of 92 goals in a season, set last year. The Ducks have outscored their opponent, 66-3, in league play this season, holding a 288-22 advantage in shots in their eight conference matches. 

The Ducks controlled possession throughout the match, outshooting the Cyclones, 42-2. Stevens held a 9-1 edge in corner kicks. Junior Chris Celentano (Newton, NJ) started the match, playing the first 31 minutes in goal. He was relieved by sophomore Corey Connelly (Louisville, KY), who played the final 59 minutes of the match. Neither keeper was tested. John Osorio played the first 16 minutes in goal for the Cyclones, making one save and allowing three goals, while Donnie Iudica played the final 74 minutes, recording five saves, while allowing seven goals.   

Stevens will wrap up its regular season at St. Joseph’s (LI) in Patchogue, NY, on Saturday at 1 p.m.