MEDFORD, Mass. (November 10, 2018)  – No. 22 Stevens Institute of Technology men's soccer played Gordon College to a scoreless draw and advanced after besting the Scots 3-1 in a penalty kick shootout Saturday in the opening round of the 2018 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament, played at Tufts' Bello Field.

Senior goalkeeper Aaron Henry stopped three penalty kicks and freshman Adam Silva clinched it for the Ducks with a goal in the fifth round of the shootout. Senior Nicholas Cousillas and sophomore Jacob Curtis also scored in the shootout as the Ducks moved to 17-2-2 on the year and 19-11-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. Stevens has advanced past the opening round of the national tournament in 13 of its 16 appearances. Gordon finished the season 12-6-2.

Playing with swirling winds that often registered over 40 miles per hour, the teams played to a scoreless draw through 110 minutes. While Stevens earned the majority of the scoring chances on the afternoon, the gusts often flattened passes and corners, forcing teams to adapt to the conditions more than the opponent. Each team only mounted successfully threats when playing with the wind at their backs.

Gordon's Wesley Sprague kept the Scots in the match, making 14 saves. Henry made three saves prior to the shootout, but delivered the save of the match in the 103rd minute, robbing Luckson Dambo to preserve the tie. The Fayetteville, Arkansas native posted his 12th clean sheet of the season and lowered his goals against average to 0.41, which ranks seventh in the country. 

Senior Daniel Aversano led all players with 10 shots, including seven on net. 

Pivotal Point

• The shootout began with Cousillas and Gordon's Tyler Modzeleski exchanging markers. 
• The teams went scoreless over the next four attempts, with sophomore Kevin Brito ringing one off the crossbar. 
• Curtis came off the bench to take the fourth try for the Ducks and successfully beat Sprague to put Stevens in front.
• Henry ranged to his left to deny Stephen Heintz to close out the fourth round.
• Silva found the back of the net to open the fifth round and send Stevens on to the second round.

Inside the Numbers

• Stevens outshot Gordon, 23-14 on the day, including a 15-2 advantage in the second half, while playing with the wind.
• The Scots outshot the Ducks 6-2 in the second overtime and forced Henry into a pair of saves.
• Stevens' 14 shots on goal were the team's second-highest total of the season. The Ducks fired 15 against St. John Fisher in the opening round of the Empire 8 Conference championship.
• The Ducks held a 6-5 edge in corners.
• The teams combined for 27 fouls and three cards.
• Senior Nikolai Figueroa was the only other player to record multiple shots on net, using his head on two different occasions to nearly give Stevens the victory in regulation.
• Henry extended his scoreless streak to 496:55

Unsung Heroes

• Anchored by Cousillas, the Stevens defensive unit kept Modzeleski off the scoresheet entirely, holding Gordon's leading scorer without a shot.

Quotables from the Sidelines

• "Really hard-fought game and proud of the group to come out on top. We knew Gordon would be a tough opponent and both teams had some chances to score. I felt we did a good job of dictating the tempo we wanted to play at and were able to combine passes in the final third, but just lacked the goal." - head coach Dale Jordan
• "Unbelievable performance [by Henry] today. With us not converting all our penalties, we needed Hank to step up big and he certainly did. To save three penalties is special. Combining that with his stops in the game...just unbelievable. Man of the Match" outing for him" - assistant coach James Hull
• "My mindset going in was don't let all the hard work that everyone on this team has put in be for nothing. My team has carried me through quite a few games this season and the least I can do is repay the favor." - senior goalkeeper Aaron Henry

Up Next

• Stevens takes on No. 2 Tufts Sunday. It's the first meeting between the programs in at least 17 seasons. The Jumbos have claimed two of the last four national championships and received a bye into the second round.

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