Maroon News

Issue date: 11/29/07 Section: Sports

After being predicted to finish fourth in the pre-season Patriot League rankings, Colgate proved all of its doubters wrong by winning the conference title with victories over Bucknell and Lafayette. Although the University of South Florida defeated Colgate in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament, the Raiders turned many heads by going toe-to-toe with a nationally-ranked program.

Colgate faced a familiar foe in the Bucknell Bison during the Patriot League semifinals on Friday, November 16. Earlier this season, the Raiders beat the Bison, 2-1 in double-overtime on a bicycle-kick goal by junior Matt Leach. Head Coach Erik Ronning wanted the team to forget the earlier result and come out strong against Bucknell and the Raiders took their coach's advice to heart and attacked the Bison early. Colgate's attack produced immediate results, as the Raiders were awarded a penalty kick in the third minute when junior Daniel Kerley made an impressive run into the box and got taken down by a Bucknell defender.

Senior Eric Anton, who was later named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, stepped up and netted the penalty kick for his fifth goal of the season. After taking the lead, the Raiders defense, led by senior Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Dan Belke and junior goalie David Cappuccio, looked to keep its one-goal advantage intact. Bucknell prevented that from happening though when Mark Schmiegel scored from ten yards out, tying the score in the 79th minute. Both teams had their fair share of chances at the end of regulation and in both overtimes, but it would take an exciting penalty kick shootout to determine the winner.

Anton and Belke scored on their penalty kick attempts, but Bucknell's Codey Curnette and Conor O'Brien matched them. With the score tied at two heading into the third round, Bucknell's Patrick Selwood hit the post behind Cappuccio. First-year Steven Miller had the chance to give Colgate the lead, but Bison keeper Joey Kuterbach stopped his effort. Bucknell's Chris Hennings shot his attempt over the crossbar, and Colgate's chances to win the match rested on the shoulders of sophomore Alex Weekes. Showing great composure, Weekes knocked the ball past Kuterbach to give the Raiders the 3-2 lead. With Leach waiting as the fifth shooter for the Raiders, Cappuccio stoned Justin Wofl's attempt cold, giving the Raiders a ticket to the Patriot League finals.

"We played a great game of soccer, but we made one mistake and Bucknell made us pay for it," Ronning said. "We were fortunate to win in PK's, but it would have been a crime if we lost that game. We had a lot of good chances, but we survived and showed great mental toughness to win the penalty kicks."

Continued...

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