WORCESTER, Mass. (11/18/07) – The Colgate University men’s soccer team is the 2007 Patriot League Champion, after a 1-0 win over Lafayette College on Sunday, Nov. 18 at Linda Johnson Smith Stadium.

The is Colgate's third time winning the Patriot League Championship. The last time the Raiders won the title was 1997.

 

Junior defender Glenn Volk (Lexington, Ky.) scored his first career goal at 14:24 and it was all that the Raiders needed to secure the win. Sophomore Chris Koontz (Miller Place, N.Y.) took a free kick from 30 yards out on the far side and lofted the ball into the box where Volk tried to sneak it in past Nelson. Finding his path blocked he skirted the ball to the far post and then sniped it in past Philip Nelson.

 

Colgate started off strong and had two chances in the 87th minute. Junior Matt Leach (New Canaan, Conn.) sent a centering pass from the right wing into the box where Steven Miller (Ivyland, Pa.) fired a shot in on net but Nelson came up with a big save. Seconds later Leach earned the ball again and rifled a shot from 30 yards out that was stopped on the right side by Nelson.

 

The ball was played around in the midfield for the next 10 minutes. Lafayette’s only chance came off of a long ball that was played into the box to B.J. Glenn but Colgate’s defense was able to kick the ball away before Glenn could get a foot on it.

 

After a Colgate throw-in at midfield, Miller brought the ball up the near side and sent it out front. Leach had a chance blocked and Eric Anton (Tacoma, Wash.) tried a header that was stopped by Nelson.

 

Sophomore Alex Weekes (Stroudsburg, Pa.) tried to set up Colgate’s second goal 23 minutes into the first half, when he sent a cross to Leach in the box, but Leach couldn’t get to it in time. Seconds later junior goalkeeper David Cappuccio (Pittsford, N.Y.) was tested for the first time, when Scott Hawkins headed the ball off of a free kick, but Cappuccio made the easy grab.

 

Lafayette continued to possess the ball for the next six minutes but the Colgate defense was solid, clearing out any chances the Leopards had of putting a ball on goal.

 

The Raiders gained some off its offense back and Leach had a header go just wide of the net for a Lafayette goal kick with just over 14 minutes to play in the half. He had another chance a couple of minutes later but his shot was blocked by a Leopard defender which resulted in a Colgate corner kick. The corner, taken by sophomore Chris Ross (Hurst, Texas), was sent into the far side to Anton, who headed the ball, the ball batted around before Nelson went down on the ground to collect the ball.

 

Ross nearly scored on a set piece from 28 yards out as the ball floated into the box and Nelson had to jump to grab the ball with eight minutes remaining in the half. Two minutes later Miller settled a Leach pass and he rifled a shot that looked as though it was going to go in but it went just wide and hit the protective netting behind the goal.

 

Lafayette came out in the second half trying to tie up the match, and controlled the ball for most of the half.

 

Steve Ferrence took a free kick from 25 yards out but the ball floated in right to keeper Cappuccio, 15 minutes into the half.

 

The Raiders had back-to-back chances in the 29th minute. Anton ran down the field and sent the ball to the near side to Miller. His defender got in front before he could settle the ball and the shot was blocked and went to Weekes, who bent the ball in on net but Nelson made a diving stop. Seconds later Anton had a one-on-one run down the left side. Nelson came out of the net, but a defender got in front of Anton and blocked his shot from the top right corner of the 18.

 

Lafayette continued to pressure the Colgate defense, keeping the ball down in the Raider zone for much of the second half. Glenn blasted a shot from inside the 18 to the near corner but Cappuccio made the diving stop to protect Colgate’s lead.

 

An intense moment occured with 16 minutes to play, a ball was played into the box and Glenn crashed into Cappuccio. The referees called a foul on Glenn and Cappuccio would take the kick. Mark Price had an opportunity to even the game when he lofted a shot that went just high of the cross bar.

 

In the 12th minute Lafayette had a shot blocked by Anton but it went back to Lafayette which then blasted a shot that hit the cross bar and banked back down onto the ground and then cleared out of danger.

 

Leach had a chance to give the Raiders’ its second goal with just over five minutes to play after taking the ball into the box. Nelson came out to battle for the ball but Leach came out with it and fired a shot at net but Nelson came up with the save.

 

Colgate outshot Lafayette, 17-10 in the contest, including an 11-2 differential in the first half. The Leopards took two corners to the Raiders one.

 

Cappuccio made six saves in the game, while Nelson turned away eight.

 

Colgate (9-5-5) will advance to the NCAA Tournament. The bracket will be announced tomorrow, Monday, Nov. 19 between 5:30 and 6 p.m., on ESPNews.