WORCESTER, Mass. – The Colgate University men’s soccer team advanced to the 2007 Patriot League Championship after winning a shootout with Bucknell University on Friday, Nov. 16 in the semifinals.

 

Corey Curnette and Conor O’Brien both scored for Bucknell and Eric Anton (Tacoma, Wash.) and Dan Belke (West Bloomfield, Mich.) each connected for Colgate. Patrick Selwood missed the next chance as his shot hit the near post but Steven Miller’s (Ivyland, Pa.) kick was stopped by Kuterbach. Chris Hennings lofted a high shot over the net and Colgate’s Alex Weekes (Stroudburg, Pa.) snuck his shot past Joey Kuterbach to take the 3-1 lead. Colgate goalkeeper David Cappuccio (Pittsford, N.Y.) came up with a big stop on Justin Wolf’s chance to give Colgate the 3-2 penalty kick victory.

 

Anton, the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, gave Colgate an early 1-0 lead with a penalty kick in the third minute of the game. It marked the third time this season that Colgate has been awarded a penalty kick with Anton taking and scoring on all three opportunities. Junior Daniel Kerley (Leawood, Kan.) had a run down the right flank and was taken down inside the 18-yard box by a Bucknell defender at 2:33.

 

Wind played a factor in both Patriot League semifinals games, and Colgate had the advantage in the first half with the wind at its back.

 

Bucknell did a good job of getting in front of Colgate when in the Raider zone, and had five corner kicks in the half. However the Bison couldn’t capitalize on its chances. Bucknell’s first chance at putting one away came eight minutes into the game when it had a free kick at the far touchline. The ball arched into the box but was carried away by goalkeeper Cappuccio.

 

Bucknell’s keeper Joey Kuterbach took away a chance for Miller to score with 27 minutes remaining in the half. Miller pushed the ball ahead and Kuterbach fumbled the ball before collecting it for a goal kick. Less than one minute later sophomore Chris Ross (Hurst, Texas) had a chance from the left side blocked by a defender.

 

Alex Russo blew an opportunity for Bucknell to even the score when he picked up a lightly-kicked cross. With Cappuccio coming out to try to collect the ball, Russo had a shot that rolled just wide of the open net with just over 16 minutes to play in the first half. Conor O’Brien earned a free kick from the top left corner of the 18, and lofted the ball in around the man-made wall but Kerley was there to head the ball out of danger.

 

Colgate started to ply on the offensive pressure midway through the second half. Bucknell’s Patrick Selwood was given a yellow card with 22:12 remaining after dragging down Anton just outside the 18. Weekes took the kick but it was cleared away by a defender.

 

Miller had a shot skim just wide of the near post after Belke took a free kick from about the midfield line. Miller got to the ball about 22 yards out and turned to fire the shot with just over 13 minutes left. Seconds later Kuterbach made a spectacular save when Anton fed Miller on the right side. Miller blasted a shot that looked as though it was going to beat Kuterbach, but he dived out to stop the ball with outstretched gloves.

 

Despite Colgate’s offensive onslaught, Bucknell evened the scoring with 11:20 remaining. O’Brien batted the ball around about 25 yards out and pushed the ball ahead. Mark Schmiegel got the ball through traffic and sent it into the right corner.

 

Junior Matt Leach (New Canaan, Conn.) fired a shot towards the net that was saved with a catch in the breadbasket by Kuterbach with just over six minutes to play. He made another stop after Bucknell earned a yellow card. Sophomore Chris Koontz (Miller Place, N.Y.) had the kick and sent it right in on net where Kuterbach made the stop. Seconds later Weeks tried to beat the wind by sending in a low shot, but it was picked up by Kuterbach.

 

Schmiegel tested Cappuccio one last time with five seconds remaining in regulation, but he made the stop as the horn signaled the close of the second half.

 

Colgate outshot Bucknell, 3-2 in the overtime sessions.

 

Weekes had a chance to end the game with about two minutes left in the first overtime session after a throw in found its way into the box. Weekes found the ball but Kuterbach was right in front of him and was able to gobble up the shot.

 

Miller redirected a Leach shot, three minutes into the second overtime, but his shot went just high of the crossbar. Leach lofted a shot in from the right flank but the ball was grabbed in the air by Kuterbach with just over a minute to play.

 

Colgate had a slight 15-13 edge in shots. Cappuccio finished the night with four saves, while Kuterbach made six stops. Each team had five corner kicks.

 

Colgate improves to 8-5-5 overall and will face No. 4 seed Lafayette in the Patriot League Championship on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 2 p.m., at Linda Johnson Smith Stadium. The Leopards defeated top-seeded Holy Cross, 2-1, in the day’s earlier semifinal.