Fields
Dave Janosz
1
Lebanon Valley LVC (9-8-2, 3-3-1)
3
Winner Stevens SIT (10-3-4, 6-0-1)
Lebanon Valley LVC
(9-8-2, 3-3-1)
1
Final
3
Stevens SIT
(10-3-4, 6-0-1)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Lebanon Valley LVC 1 0 1
Stevens SIT 2 1 3

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Men's Soccer Advances To Fourth Straight MAC Freedom Championship With 3-1 Win Over Lebanon Valley

Ducks Will Face DeSales on Saturday

Hoboken, N.J. – The top-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology men's soccer team wiped away an early 1-0 deficit with three unanswered goals during a 3-1 win over fourth-seeded Lebanon Valley in the semifinals of the MAC Freedom Tournament Tuesday night from DeBaun Athletic Complex.

HOW IT HAPPENED
In the 18th minute, Lebanon Valley's Charlie McCormick delivered a corner kick across the goal, right along the goal line, to Ben Kolarek. Kolarek headed the ball toward a swarm of bodies gathered right in front of the middle of the net, finding the head of Aaron Weitzel, who tucked a header of his own just under the crossbar for a 1-0 Flying Dutchmen lead.

After several, long distance off-target attempts, Stevens (10-3-4) equalized in the 32nd. Adam Berrocal delivered a free kick just inside midfield into the 18-yard box. Martin Fields, with his body facing away from the net, delivered a turnaround, right-footed strike from about 12 yards out that deflected off the outstretched arms of Lebanon Valley (9-8-2) goalkeeper Dalton Fitterling.
 

With the momentum swung back in its favor, Stevens struck again for the lead six minutes later. Emerico Vespucci took advantage of a back line mistake just outside the 18-yard box, drawing a foul on Fitterling inside the box for a penalty kick, which Vespucci successfully deposited into the lower right corner, sending the Ducks to the half with their first lead of the evening.

That 2-1 margin held throughout much of the second half, the two sides combining for just four shots through the 75-minute mark. As the clock dwindled toward the final 10 minutes, Ethan Hagen led a rush from the right toward the top of the 18-yard box and hit Omar Martinez cutting from the left for a right-foot rocket into the lower right corner for a Ducks' insurance goal.
 
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • The four total goals were twice what the teams had combined for in their previous three matches (two).
  • The three-time defending MAC Freedom champions, Stevens pushed its conference tournament unbeaten streak to eight.
  • Stevens has reached its conference tournament final in 19 of 21 seasons dating back to 2003 (MAC Freedom, Empire 8, and Skyline).
  • The Ducks scored more than two goals for just the second time this season (4-0 vs. Delaware Valley on October 19.
  • With the victory, the Ducks clinched a 22nd straight season with at least 10 wins dating back to 2002.
  • The Red and Gray have now allowed 0 or 1 goals in 42 of 46 MAC Freedom regular season and post-season matches since joining for 2019 season.
FROM THE FIELD
"Semi finals are always tough and Leb Valley really pushed and tested us - again a great team effort and we are excited to play on Saturday at home!!!" -- Head Coach Dale Jordan.

UP NEXT
The Ducks will host the No. 2 seed DeSales on Saturday at 7:00 pm from DeBaun Athletic Complex. The Bulldogs survived penalty kicks (6-5) against No. 3 Misericordia Tuesday afternoon.
 
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