Box Score

EASTON, Pa. (10/22/11) – Junior Shane Conlin scored a late goal in the final minute of double overtime to lift the Colgate men's soccer team past Lafayette 1-0.
 
After a slow 90 minutes in which both teams struggled to find any offense, the Raiders were finally able to break the 109-minute scoreless dry spell to win the game. Junior Mike Reidy had the assist in the goal.
 
The first half was unproductive for both teams who, despite coming out determined to get on the scoreboard early, could not generate any real scoring opportunities. As the game progressed, both Colgate (9-3-3, 3-1-1 PL) and the Leopards struggled to get a shot off and by the end of the first 45 minutes of play neither team had tested the goalies with a shot.
 
After a stagnant first half, the pressure was on in the second period to put some shots on net. Lafayette broke the dry spell first with a series of strikes in the opening minutes and came close to finding a goal but a defensive save from sophomore Barrett Metzger kept the game scoreless. The early action increased the tempo and physicality of the game, resulting in the Raiders' first shot of the match from senior co-captain Steven Miller in the 67th minute while also giving way to a pair of yellow cards; one for each squad. The warnings returned the game to its unfruitful beginnings, with neither team finding a shot in the rest of regulation time. The Leopards had five attempts in the second half while Colgate had one.
 
It came as no surprise that the game came down to a battle in overtime. With only a total of six shots being take in the first 90 minutes of play, the teams knew it would come down to which one of them was able to find a much-needed attacking opportunity to capitalize on. The pressure of the Patriot League Tournament looming in the near future lit a fire under both teams, who opened the overtime period with a shot each. Lafayette held the slight shooting advantage midway through the firts additional time until the 99th minute when junior Patrick Letourneau found a header off a corner kick but was denied by the Leopards' keeper.
 
The second overtime period started identical to the first, with the Raiders and Lafayette taking one shot apiece. After what appeared to be another scoreless period, a late Colgate offensive spark put the ball in the box which Reidy deflected to Conlin, who then fired it from seven yards out to score the game-winning goal with 31 seconds left on the clock. The goal was scored on the Raiders' fifth shot of the game and secured their third league win of the season.
 
Junior Grant Reed had four saves for Colgate while Graham Heydt also had four stops for the Leopards.
 
"It was a great win and I am very happy for our players," stated head coach Erik Ronning. "They fought hard all night and even going into the second overtime believed they would make a play and get the victory. Lafayette is extremely difficult to break down and we really could not generate much of an attack most of the night. We played very well defensively and Patrick Letourneau won a ton of balls and held us together. We still have a lot of work to do to earn a tournament berth."
 
The Raiders will return to action on Tuesday, Oct. 25 with a non-conference matchup against Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H. at 5 p.m.