HOBOKEN, N.J. (October 14, 2008) – The No. 10 Stevens Institute of Technology men's soccer team earned a hard-fought, 2-1 win over the United States Merchant Marine Academy on Tuesday night at the De Baun Athletic Complex. Senior Peter Montalvo put a perfect shot to the right of USMMA goalkeeper Lucas Larson (Huntington, Ind.) at the 79:35 mark to break a 1-1 deadlock as the Ducks held on for their fifth-straight victory. Junior Al Lockhart was credited with the assist on the game-winner.
Stevens (12-1-1) started the contest playing well as they had several nice runs at the goal and controlled possession throughout the first 20 minutes of the match and much of the first half. The Ducks held a 12-3 first half shot advantage and maintained a 2-0 edge in corners.
Stevens got on the board in the seventh-minute of action as senior captain Jeremy Lippel took a nice pass down the left side of the box from rookie Peter Bednarsky and beat the keeper in a one-on-one situation. It was Lippel's seventh goal of the season and Bednarsky's second assist.
The game became more even as the half progressed. The Mariners began to control some more possession and looked more comfortable passing.
In the second half, play was far more even as Stevens held a 7-6 edge in shots and corners were knotted at two apiece.
Lane Gould (Greenville, Texas) banged the cross bar on a shot in the 62nd-minute before heading home a beautiful corner off the foot of junior Clint Foster (Mt. Pleasant, Texas) about five minutes later to tie the game at one. It was Gould's third goal of the season.
For the next ten-plus minutes each team made some solid runs at the net but could not score until the Ducks broke the tie at 79:35.
On the game-winner, Lockhart controlled from about 40-yards out and made some fantastic moves with the ball. The junior angled towards the top left corner of the box before he touched off to Montalvo. The senior controlled, took one dribble, and buried a ridiculous shot in the lower left corner of the net with his left foot to give the Ducks a lead they would not relinquish.
Sophomore Zach Carr earned the win in goal for Stevens. Carr made four saves and allowed the one USMMA (9-6) tally as he moves to 12-1-1 on the season. Larson made seven saves in the loss for the Mariners.
The win for Stevens avenges its only loss of 2007 as the Ducks fell 2-0 at Kings Point a season ago. Stevens has won four of the last five meetings between the schools.
The Ducks will return to action on Saturday and Sunday at Rochester Institute of Technology and Nazareth College. Saturday's match is set for a noon start at RIT.
