Box Score Box Score Video of game-winning goal
Scranton, PA - Matthew Hull sent Marywood University to the Colonial States Athletic Conference men's soccer championship game for the fifth time in six years with a double overtime goal. Hull gave the second-seeded Pacers a 2-1 victory in the 109th minute – 80 seconds remaining – to advance the team to the CSAC final Saturday at No. 1 Cabrini College.
Daniel Lopez constructed the play following a direct kick. Lopez took the ball wide left and sent a ball forward into the box. The Neumann keeper leaped and attempted to corral it with two hands. It skitted out to the right side where Hull waited to strike it into the far side from 18 yards out. It was Hull's fifth of the year.
Lopez had a season-best day with three points on a goal and an assist. He put the game's first goal in in the 53rd minute of play. Lopez bent a scorching shot into the top-right corner of the goal from the left perimeter sideline. It was Lopez's second goal of the season.
Neumann (6-10-2) evened the score in the 64th, Andrew Kelly released a shot that was thwarted by Justin Sunseri. Jake McDevitt followed through on the rebound and sent it into the net.
The Knights seemingly took the lead in a contentious 78th minute of play. A would-be go-ahead goal by Thomas Cruz was waved off by officials during a goalkeeper injury timeout. The Knights failed to get a shot on goal for the final 31 minutes. Neumann's only shot came on a breakaway chance in the 86th that went high for McDevitt.
Marywood (8-7-3) had two chances in overtime. In the first OT period, Daniel Hull maneuvered his way to goal was held in check by Shane Smith. Lopez looked for his second in the 106th on a scorcher that was vacuumed by Smith.
Smith made seven saves in 108 minutes, 40 seconds. Sunseri made six goals to earn the win, while Patrick Brogan saw 67 seconds of action in net.
It was the second double overtime loss by the Knights to the Pacers. Zach Oster scored a game-winning goal in the 104th on Sept. 26. Each of the past three games versus Neumann have gone to double overtime.
Marywood has won the past four games versus Neumann played at home. Neumann defeated the Pacers last year in the CSAC championship game in penalty kick to advance to the NCAA tournament.
The Pacers outshot the Knights by a 19-17 margin. Marywood had a 4-3 edge in corner kicks.
