11/14/05
Five Alive!
Hartwick men’s soccer latest area team to extend season
Hawks beat O-State, 2-0, to return to NCAAs for first time since 1995
DIVISION I MEN’S SOCCER: ATLANTIC SOCCER CON
| | | Star photo by Anita Briggs
Hartwick College’s John Paul Boyle kicks the ball away from Oneonta State’s Michael Mahoney during the second half of Sunday’s Atlantic Soccer Conference championship game at Elmore Field. The Hawks earned their first NCAA Division I Tournament berth since 1995 with a 2-0 victory. |
|
|
FERENCE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP
By P.J. Harmer
Staff Writer
ONEONTA — Hartwick soccer coach Ian McIntyre should be pretty busy today.
McIntyre will be spending his free time planning a Tuesday practice, watching tournament selections and preparing for the Hawks’ first NCAA Division I appearance since 1995.
At the mercy of the NCAA selection committee and overlooked the last two seasons, Hartwick left no doubt about securing a spot in th[an error occurred while processing this directive]e tournament Sunday. The Hawks earned an automatic qualifier spot by winning the inaugural Atlantic Soccer Conference Tournament with a 2-0 championship victory over visiting Oneonta State.
"This is kind of new for us," said third-year coach McIntyre, an All-American at Hartwick in 1995. "We’ll just kind of enjoy this and then get back to work. I’ll give the guys off tomorrow and find out who we play. I promised my wife I’m going to rake the leaves (today), watch the show and we’ll go to work the next day."
Hartwick improved to 13-5-1 this season in front of 770 fans at Elmore Field as the regular-season ASC champion maintained its top seed for the postseason conference tournament. Hartwick finished 15-2-1 in 2003 and 13-3-3 last season but failed to earn an at-large bid into the NCAAs. Florida International University, which left the ASC this season to compete in Conference USA, won regular-season titles both years to earn the two previous NCAA berths.
John Paul Boyle and Adam Mitchinson scored second-half goals Sunday to lead Hartwick, which will find out its tournament draw at 4 p.m. today. The brackets will be revealed on ESPNNews.
"We’re in unknown territory now," Mitchinson said. "Bring it on. We’ll see who we get in the tournament tomorrow. Having lost to FIU last year makes this win all the better."
Hartwick earned five of the six yellow cards issued Sunday as the city rivals combined for 26 fouls in an extremely physical game.
"We expected the game to be as intense as it was," said O-State’s Chris Spence. "We gave it all we have, it was just unfortunate we couldn’t come out with the result."
Boyle’s goal, which came 1 minute, 3 seconds into the second half, gave the Hawks a chance settle into the game. On the opposite side, O-State’s gameplan changed.
"We were excellent the first half," said O-State coach Iain Byrne, whose team finished 8-10-2. "We said, ’The same again for 20 minutes and then we can really chase it the second part of the second half.’ And then a goal a minute in and it changes everything."
Hartwick’s Kenny Rodriguez sent a corner kick into the penalty box that bounced freely before returning to him just outside the penalty box on the right side.
Rodriguez served the ball to the far post, where Boyle shot into O-State goalie Tim Melia. Boyle converted the rebound through the middle for a 1-0 lead.
"I was at the back post and tried to shoot it in, but the goalie got to it," Boyle said. "I was just panicking just trying to put it in. I’m just glad it went in."
Said McIntyre: "J.P. was struggling a little bit in the first half. You feel if he gets a chance he can finish it and he did. He’s scored some big goals but none bigger than that one."
The Red Dragons started to push a little more after Boyle’s goal and nearly had the equalizer with 28:17 to play. Keith Manscuk rushed the right side toward a loose ball, then headed it right at Hartwick freshman goalie Joseph Gibson.
"Our freshman goalkeeper I thought really came of age today," McIntyre said. "I thought he was outstanding. You wouldn’t know (he was a freshman) if you talked to Joe. He’s one of the most composed, down to earth young men. He had a presence."
Gibson, who posted his fourth shutout in eight games, made three saves. He’s been starting in place of Josh Wagenaar, who has been out since Oct. 19 with an injured right foot.
The Hawks put the game out of reach with 10:18 remaining.
Mitchinson, who hit the left post on a header midway through the second half, made sure he capitalized on a second chance. Craig Potter sent the ball into the penalty area, and Mitchinson headed it over Melia for a 2-0 lead.
"I was just hanging out at the back post," Mitchinson said. "(Potter) put it in the right spot, the goalkeeper came out and I had an empty net to put it in."
HARTWICK 2, O-STATE 0
O-State (8-10-2): None.
Hartwick (13-5-1): John Paul Boyle 1-0, Kenny Rodriguez 0-1, Adam Mitchinson 1-0, Craig Potter 0-1.
Shots-corners: O 6-2, H 12-6.
Goalies: Tim Melia (O) 2; Joseph Gibson (H) 3.
