FIGHTING TIGER MEN’S SOCCER ADVANCES TO REGION III SEMIFINALS IN SHOOTOUT OVER MVCC

SUNY Cobleskill Head Men’s Soccer Coach Rob Szmarz had a hunch on Monday afternoon and it may have translated into a Region III Tournament Semifinal appearance. In preparing for Mohawk Valley Community College, Szmarz felt that a dicey weather report and soggy field conditions would have veteran MVCC Head Coach Bob Gould play a very defensive minded match, similar to what Clinton Community College did earlier in the year, when the team’s met in the NJCAA Region III Quarterfinal round hosted by the Fighting Tiger on Tuesday. Indeed the underdog Hawks packed in the goal area and slowed the game down to a crawl through regulation and subsequently two overtime periods with the contest ending a 0-0 tie after 110 minutes of play.

In regional tournament play after the second overtime advancement hinges on a shootout where five players from each squad take penalty kicks on goal and the team that scores most versus the opposition’s goalkeeper advances. (The game is considered officially a tie with the shootout determining who moves on.) What the fans at the game did not know was that on Monday the Fighting Tigers had devoted considerable practice time to a potential shootout scenario and were well prepared for the shootout when it took place.

After Mohawk Valley scored on their opening shot Fighting Tiger goalkeeper Abdou Seck, Bronx, NY, Dewitt Clinton High School, turned things up a notch and stopped the Hawks cold on their next three attempts. When it was time for Cobleskill to shoot, freshman midfielder Essaha Jallow, Bronx, NY, Dewitt Clinton High School, answered the Hawks opening goal then senior forward Hugh Campbell, Bronx, NY, Evander Childs High School, put Cobleskill ahead to stay and freshman midfielder Rilwan Salawu, Brooklyn, NY, Franklin D. Roosevelt, drove the deciding shot home making the final shootout tally Cobleskill-3 and Mohawk Valley-1 with the Fighting Tigers advancing to the regional semifinals.

“We were prepared for all possible situations and hats off to Abdou for an unbelievable game in  net and for making three saves in the shootout. Unbelievable; not many keepers do that,” said Coach Szmarz. “Advancing to the regional championship round at Herkimer makes this is an exciting time for our program and we know that we’ll have our hands full in every game we play in from here on out.”

The Fighting Tigers will next play in the Region III Division III Semifinal versus Genesee Community College on Saturday October 28th hosted by Herkimer Community College in Herkimer, NY at Paul Wehrum Stadium, located on the Herkimer campus, beginning at 4:45 PM.