FIGHTING TIGER MEN’S SOCCER DOWNS ACC TO CAPTURE MVC TITLE

The SUNY Cobleskill men’s soccer team captured the 2007 Mountain Valley Conference Co-Championship yesterday pounding Adirondack Community College by an 8-0 margin on the Timberwolves home turf in Glens Falls, NY. The Fighting Tigers finished the conference season with a 6-1 mark to earn the league’s co-championship with Herkimer Community College, whom the Fighting Tigers defeated by a 2-1 margin on September 4th. Cobleskill is currently ranked fifth in both the NJCAA Division III National Poll and the NSCAA National Poll and are also ranked first in the NJCAA Region III Division III Coaches Poll with a 13-1 overall record on the year.

The Fighting Tigers put the contest away in the first half on the strength of a six goal opening half outburst. Freshman midfielder/forward Ryan Stevens, Niskayuna, NY, Christian Brothers Academy, notched a hat trick scoring three times in the contest while freshman midfielder David Gardiner, Malta, NY, Ballston Spa High School, found the back of the Adirondack net twice. Senior NJCAA All-American Candidate midfielder Essaha Jallow, Bronx, NY, DeWitt Clinton High School, scored two goals and passed out two assists and freshman forward Emile Barnett, Huntington, NY, John Glenn High School, contributed a goal and an assist. The Orange & Black also received a pair of assists from senior midfielder Greg Klopfer, Voorheesville, NY, Voorheesville High School and single assists from: freshman midfielder Cedric Bouemboue, Brooklyn, NY, Aviation High School, freshman defender/midfielder Steven Medwinter, St. Albans, NY, Erasmus Hall High School, and freshman defender Jamal Niles, Brooklyn, NY, Thomas Jefferson High School.

“Before the start of the season, winning the Mountain Valley Conference was one of the goals that we set for ourselves and hopefully this is only the first of several championship goals we hope to attain,” said Fighting Tiger Head Coach Rob Szmarz. “Offensively, David Gardiner has found his niche in our offense and while his complete transition to the college game may have taken a little longer than expected, I am glad that he is here now. Ryan Stevens also is giving us productive minutes off the bench as he continues to find the back of the net on a regular basis.”

Cobleskill will close out the home portion of their schedule on Saturday October 13th when they host the Cannoneers of Jefferson Community College at the college’s Cobleskill Soccer Complex beginning at 3:00 PM as part of a soccer doubleheader with the Fighting Tiger women who meet the Cannoneer women’s team at 1:00 PM. Admission to the public is free to all Fighting Tiger regular season home contests.