Box Score

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (11/17/11) – The Colgate men's soccer team concluded its 2011 season in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night when it fell to Rutgers 4-2 on Yurcak Field.
 
Despite scoring a quick comeback goal to tie the game 1-1 at half time, a penalty kick in the second half followed by a pair of goals by Rutgers was enough to topple the Raiders.
 
Senior co-captain Steven Miller and junior Patrick Letourneau scored the goals for the Raiders. Miller's goal in the first half marked his 12th of the season, moving him up to fourth in program history for goals in a season while also scoring the most goals for a Patriot League player since 2006. His 25 points this season are tied for sixth while his 27 career goals and 61 career points are ranked fourth and sixth respectively in Colgate men's soccer history.
 
In the first half, Rutgers came out putting a lot of pressure on Colgate's (11-5-6, 4-1-2 PL) defense as the Raiders struggled to get the ball out of their defensive end. Ten minutes into the game, Colgate began to find its rhythm, connecting some passes in the midfield as they looked to break down the Scarlet Knights' defensive unit. As the half progressed, Rutgers then found an offensive surge with a series of shots on net but could not get past junior goalie Grant Reed who made one tough save after another. The Raiders then had a few opportunities of their own, getting the ball into the box but could not get a shot off with the swarm of defenders pressuring the ball. Then with 22 minutes left in the first half, Rutgers opened scoring with a long strike from about 25 yards out that found the top of the net to give the Scarlet Knights a 1-0 lead. The Raiders answered back two minutes later when Miller picked up a pass from junior Mike Garzi between two defenders and then fired the ball into the bottom left corner past the keeper to tie the game at 1-1. The Raiders then continued their offensive surge with a pair of close attempts, with one from Miller that hit the side of the net. The game became more physical as the teams battled it out on the field looking for a second goal. But at the end of the first 45 minutes of play, the score remained 1-1.  
 
Both teams came out looking to control the ball possession in the second half as they searched for the third goal of the game. Colgate had the first opportunities of the half, finding open space on some runs but could not get any shots on net. As the half progressed, Rutgers then became the more attacking team with a series of shots, one of which was a long-range shot that sailed over Reed and hit the crossbar, but could not find the back of the net. The near-goal opportunity gave way to an offensive burst by the Scarlet Knights that resulted in a Colgate defender getting tangled with a Rutgers attacker in the box to earn a penalty kick in the 63rd minute. The Scarlet Knights converted the kick into the lower right corner out of Reed's reach to take the 2-1 lead.
 
As the half reached the midway point, Colgate began to generate some offense with a close attempt coming off a long throw by sophomore Barrett Metzger that was blasted at the frame by Miller but the keeper was able to make an impressive save. The Raiders continued to play a solid game on both ends of the field but it was Rutgers that was able to get on the scoreboard twice, first on a fast break and then from an unlucky touch by a Colgate defender at the 81:12 and 84:22 marks to increase the Scarlet Knights' lead to 4-1. The Raiders continued to play hard in the final minutes, determined to cut the lead and eventually found a goal from Letourneau off a header from a corner kick with 27 seconds left. However it was not enough, putting the final score at 4-2 in favor of Rutgers. Senior Matt Schuber and Metzger where credited with assists in the second goal. The Scarlet Knights advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament and will face Boston College on Sunday.
 
Grant Reed made five saves in the game while Rutgers' Kevin McMullen had four.

“I am so proud of this group,” stated head coach Erik Ronning. “We struggled early in the game but once we settled in, we played very well. Rutgers is a good team and played us even. We started the second half great and had them on their heels. Down the stretch, we were very unlucky. Regardless, we are a very good team and these men represented Colgate proudly. Our seniors set the bar very high and we look forward to another opportunity to play in the NCAAs.”
 
The Raiders completed their 2011 season with an 11-5-6 overall record and as the 2011 Patriot League Champions. The team had a league-high five players named to the all-tournament team including the PL Offensive Player of the Year, Steven Miller, and the PL Rookie of the Year, Jimmy McLaughlin. The team says goodbye to its five seniors; co-captains Steven Miller and Mike Reese along with Chris Miller, Matt Schuber and Eric Przybysz.