DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – Needing a win to claim the MAC Freedom regular season championship, the Stevens Institute of Technology men's soccer team left no doubt, scoring twice in the first half, tacking on a third for good measure in the second half during a 3-0 victory over Delaware Valley Saturday afternoon.
With Lebanon Valley's loss to Misericordia last night, the Ducks re-gained control of their conference tournament fate, and picked up the three points, finishing with 14 points, two clear of the Dutchmen and FDU-Florham.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Stevens (7-3-6, 4-1-2 MACF) wasted no time setting the tone, taking the lead just seven and a half minutes in.
Emerson Kekesi, fresh off a hat trick Tuesday night against DeSales, tapped home a far-side cross from
Luke Carey. In the 31st minute, Kekesi struck again, finishing a well-worked build-up with another re-direct of a cross from the far side, this one initially from the foot of
Omar Martinez, doubling Stevens' advantage before the break.
Stevens continued to press after halftime and put things completely out of reach in the 79th minute. After
Ben Goldberg was knocked down in the box,
Ethan Hagen stepped up and calmly converted the ensuing penalty kick under the arms of Delaware Valley keeper Nick Becker.
Delaware Valley struggled to generate any rhythm against Stevens' back line, managing a single shot in each half. Goalkeeper
Sebastian Montoulieu was rarely called upon, making his lone save in the second half to preserve the shutout.
The Ducks finished with a 15–2 advantage in total shots and a 7–1 edge in attempts on goal without yielding a single corner kick, highlighting their efficiency and defensive dominance.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Montoulieu earned his second shutout of the year and lowered his goals-against average to 1.07
- Kekesi extended his team leads in goals and points, reaching nine and 18 in both metrics, respectively, the most in both categories since Bruno Andino had 10 goals and 28 points during the 2022 season.
- Kekesi notched multiple goals in a match for the third time this season
- For the seventh time in their last eight matches, both Hagen and Brian Babovic played the full 90
UP NEXT
The Ducks host Misericordia in MAC Freedom Tournament semifinals on Wednesday, November 5 at DeBaun Athletic Complex, in the 1 v. 4 game at a time to-be-determined. The teams tied 1-1 in Dallas, Pa. three weeks ago. The winner will play the Lebanon Valley/FDU-Florham winner at the highest remaining seed on Saturday, November 8 with the winner earning the conference auto-bid to the NCAA Championships.
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