Goalkeeper Matt Makowski made seven saves and then nailed the game winner in the shootout to send the AU men’s soccer team into the Patriot League Tournament championship for the third straight season.
The Eagles (7-11-2, 5-2 PL) defeated the Navy Midshipmen (7-7-5, 3-2-2 PL) 4-3 in penalty kicks following a scoreless 110 minutes in the PL semifinals at Reeves Field Nov. 11. With the win, the top-seeded Eagles advance to the tournament’s title game, where they will take on Colgate University.
AU held the early advantage in the shootout, as Makowski stopped an attempt from Navy’s Eric Skogerboe to start. Alassane Kane then found the back of the net for the Eagles to put AU in front 1-0 on PKs.
But Navy quickly responded, and Dave Arnold was able to beat Makowski and Colin Seigfreid was subsequently not able to convert for the Eagles.
Over the shootout’s next two frames, Ryan Morales and Cristobal Soto each converted for AU, while Zach Davis and David Jackson connected for the Midshipmen.
With the shootout score at 4-4, the pressure was on Navy’s Martin Sanchez. Sanchez made the fatal mistake of not putting his shot on net, as his attempt sailed over the crossbar and gave AU a chance at victory.
With a berth in the PL Tournament championship on the line, Makowksi stepped from his goalkeeper position to take the kick for the Eagles. The senior was then able to beat Navy’s Aaron Dupere and send home the upset-minded Midshipmen.
“For penalty kicks, I told them a joke just to try to relax them,” AU Head Coach Todd West said.
The game went to penalty kicks after neither team was able to push across a goal in either of the two halves or two overtime sessions. The best chance of the afternoon from either side came when AU’s Jack Scott just missed converting on a header set up by a Soto pass.
“I thought it was pretty even,” West said. “I thought we might have had a little more possession.”
Navy held an advantage in shots (17-13), while each team had three corner kicks apiece after 110 minutes of play.
Makowski’s counterpart Max Renaldo made four saves for the Midshipmen before being replaced by Dupere in the penalty shootout.
Penalty kicks were needed in the other semifinal as well, as second-seeded Colgate defeated third-seeded Lehigh University 5-4 in the shootout after also playing to a scoreless draw.
This marks the first time in Patriot League Tournament history that both semifinals ended in scoreless draws and went to penalty kicks.
The Eagles are set to face the Raiders for the league title at 1 p.m. Nov. 13 at Reeves Field. The teams last met Sept. 24, when the Eagles defeated Colgate 3-0 in the conference opener for both teams.
“That’s what we’re playing for every year, is trying to win a championship,” West said.
ttomea@theeagleonline.com
