HAMILTON, N.Y. (10/21/07) – Junior Matt Leach (New Canaan, Conn.) scored with 1:30 remaining in the second overtime to lift Colgate University to a 2-1 win over Bucknell University in men’s soccer on Sunday, Oct. 21 at Van Doren Field.

 

The win sets Colgate in first place in the Patriot League standings, along with American with matching 3-0-1 records.

 

Colgate earned a throw-in about 35 yards out at the near touchline. Sophomore Chris Koontz (Miller Place, N.Y.) took the throw-in and lofted the ball into the box where Leach bicycle-kicked the ball into the left side of the goal at 108:30.

 

Colgate took control from the opening kick, and had four shots before Bucknell had a chance to get one.

 

The Raiders had a goal called off at 24:54, after freshman Steven Miller (Ivyland, Pa.) had the ball on the left side of the net near the end line and passed it to Leach who was out front, and Leach knocked the ball in. The goal was called off, as the ball was deemed out of bounds before Miller was able to make the pass.

 

Bucknell had its first chance to put one away, 25 minutes in, after Colgate was called for a foul about 22 yards out. Conor O’Brien took the free kick and it went in on net where it was sent out of play by the leaping David Cappuccio (Pittsford, N.Y.).

 

The Raiders were finally able to capitalize in the 34th minute as sophomore Chris Ross (Hurst, Texas) sent a cross into the box as he ran up the left side. Bucknell goalkeeper Joey Kuterbach came out to stop the ball but Miller was running on and extended his leg to push the ball past Kuterbach and over the goal line.

 

Bucknell started to put on the offensive pressure in the second half and evened the game just over three minutes in.

 

Justin Wolf sent a cross in from the right side that was arcing towards the goal, which led Cappuccio to come out to make the stop. With Cappuccio on the ground with the ball and a Colgate defender and O’Brien on the doorstep, O’Brien knocked the ball free and kicked it into the right corner at 48:49.

 

Sophomore Alex Weekes (Stroudsburg, Pa.) had a chance to give Colgate its second goal in the 62nd minute, when he lofted a free kick from 30 yards out that came down and just missed the cross bar as it bounced into the top netting. The Raiders had another great opportunity with just over a minute remaining, when Leach sent the ball into the 18-yard box where Eric Anton (Tacoma, Wash.) flipped it to Ross, but his shot went a bit too high and skimmed the cross bar.

 

In the overtime session, Leach had a shot with three minutes left in the first overtime but Kuterbach was there to make the grab. Minutes later Bucknell’s Mark Schmiegel had a chance in the box but the Colgate defense was able to knock the ball out of play.

 

Bucknell had an opportunity three minutes into the second overtime, after they drew a foul 20 yards out. O’Brien took the kick but it was blocked by the Colgate man-made wall. The ball then ricochetted back to O’Brien again who fired a shot that was stopped by Cappuccio but bounced out onto the ground. Defender Koontz was able to get the ball off the line and kick it out of play to thwart another Bucknell effort.

 

Colgate outshot Bucknell, 25-11 in the contest, and had a 6-4 edge in corner kicks.

 

Cappuccio finished the day with two saves, while Kuterbach made six.

 

The Raiders (7-4-2) host Hartwick in the final non-conference game of the season, on Wednesday, October 24 at 7 p.m.