Box Score Postgame Reaction

HOBOKEN, N.J. (October 26, 2013) – Senior midfielder Edward Rupp (Sayville, N.Y.) tallied one goal and one assist to lead the fifth-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology men's soccer team to a 2-0 shutout win over St. John Fisher College Saturday at the De Baun Athletic Complex.
 
With the win, the Ducks clinch the Empire 8 regular-season title and No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament. Stevens is guaranteed to host a semifinal on Wednesday, November 6, and with a win, will host the title match.
 
The Ducks improved to 13-1-1 overall and 5-0 in the conference with Saturday's win. It is the ninth shutout of the year for the Ducks and the team's eighth-straight win dating back to September 28. Fisher Drops to 4-9-2 overall and 2-4 in the conference.
 
Stevens wasted little time finding its way on the board in this one. Senior forward Stephen Dunbar (Johns Creek, Ga.) chased down a loose ball 35-yards away and was able to use several touches to create space and force Fisher keeper Kyle Metcalfe (Fairport, N.Y.) to come out and challenge on the left side of the box. Dunbar kept his composure before delivering a perfect cross in front to Rupp who hammered in his second marker of the season for a 1-0 lead at 9:33.
 
The Ducks continued to possess the ball and keep Fisher on its heels but were unable to find the back of the net on any of their three other first-half shots.
 
The Cardinals had one solid chance in the half when a shot off the foot of Josh Tomko (Homer, N.Y.) was deflected, forcing Stevens goalkeeper Paul Killian (Ellicott City, Md.) to make a diving save to his right.
 
Fisher held a 5-4 edge in shots after one and each team created one corner.
 
Just 2:30 into the second half, sophomore forward Carson Pryor (St Louis, Mo.) delivered pretty pass to Dunbar, leading the senior into the box, but Metcalfe was able to thwart the attempt to keep the Cardinals within one.
 
The Ducks also had a pair of chances one-on-one with Metcalfe midway through the second, but both attempts just missed, one hitting the outside of the post and the other drilling the post dead on.
 
Midway through the second, Fisher was able to get a corner and put some pressure on the Ducks, but it had trouble sustaining cohesive possession for the time needed for any really strong scoring chances.
 
Stevens had several more opportunities to extend its lead, most notably with 6:30 left, when senior midfielder Curtis Stecyk (Niwot, Colo.) had a look on an open goal with Metcalfe out of position but his high-arching bid was headed out of harm's way for the Cardinals by midfielder Joey Plummer (Rochester, N.Y.).
 
The Ducks finally were able to get an insurance goal with 1:42 on the clock when Rupp changed fields with a long cross from the near sideline to the right side of the box to freshman forward Jay Mikula (Howell, N.J.). Mikula was able to control the feed, get by a defender and drill a shot into the lower-left corner for his fourth goal of the season. It was Rupp's team-high fifth assist of 2013.
 
The Ducks ended the game with a 14-7 margin in shots and a 3-2 edge in corners. Killian made three saves to earn his fourth individual shutout of the season. Metcalfe recorded five denials for St. John Fisher.
 
Stevens will close out the regular-season November 2 with a match against Empire 8 rival Ithaca College at 3 p.m. Senior Day from the De Baun Athletic Complex is slated to begin at 2:45 with all the action being webcast live at www.Empire8.TV.