BRISTOL, R.I. – A defensive miscue cost the Roger Williams University Men's Soccer team a spot in the 2010 Roger Williams University Turfer Athletic Classic Tournament Championship Game, as an own goal by the Hawks proved to be the deciding score in a 2-1 win for William Paterson University.
In the 75th minute, the Hawk defense made an attempt to clear a cross into the box by William Paterson. Unfortunately for RWU, the jumping kick took the wrong bounce and found its way to the left corner, rather than out of bounds.
The own goal broke a 1-1 tie that lasted less than a minute and a half. Trailing 1-0 after a free kick goal by Julian Valerio (Manalapan, N.J.) only 1:41 into the game, Liam Isleib (Killingworth, Conn.) converted a free kick of his own for a score at the 74 minute mark to knot the game.
It was a game that saw scoring opportunities negated by timely defense and a bit of luck. In the opening minutes of the first half, Kene Eze (Sayreville, N.J.) nearly put the Pioneers up 2-0, but a stellar kick save going the opposite way by Peter Plate (Commack, N.Y.) preserved the one-goal deficit.
Not soon after, William Paterson keeper Zach Collins (Bayville, N.J.) made a key stop on a shot by Isleib, putting a header on a one-hopper free kick. Yet the most significant play in the game came in the 60th minute, as Bradley MacDonald (Topsfield, Mass.) had a game-tying goal wiped off the board after the Hawks were whistled for a foul right before he took the shot.
Collins made four saves on the day to earn the win, while Plate had seven stops in the game for Roger Williams.
Roger Williams (0-2-0) will play Norwich University tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. in the consolation game, while William Paterson (1-1-0) takes on Plymouth State University at 1:30 p.m. in the championship game. Plymouth State advanced to the championship after a 2-1 win over Norwich in the second game of the day.
