Spring Break
MSOCCER: Late goal knocks Judges out of the postseason
by Jeffrey Pickette
Senior writer
Sports | 11/6/07
Posted online at 9:42 PM EST on 11/5/07
/ Last updated at 8:52 PM EST on 11/5/07
With the men's soccer team's postseason fate on life support as regulation drew to a close in a tie game against No. 24 New York University Saturday afternoon, all signs pointed to the regular-season finale being decided in overtime. But, as in many other games this season, the Judges fell in heartbreaking fashion.
NYU rookie midfielder Michael Burke scored on a loose ball in the Judges' goalie box with just 81 seconds remaining in regulation to give NYU a 2-1 victory in a game Brandeis had to win to have a chance at qualifying for the Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament. The team fell to 8-9-3 and ended the season, winless in the University Athletic Association at 0-6-1.
"The whole season flashed before my eyes [when Burke scored the goal]," midfielder Evan Duval '08 said.
Because they ended the year below .500, the Judges won't get a chance to defend the ECAC title they won last season. ECAC qualifiers must have either a divisional record or overall record above .500, according to Article B, Section 4 of the conference's 2007 men's soccer championships manual.
"We [kept] losing by a goal in overtime or near the end of the game to teams that were nationally ranked," coach Mike Coven said. "It shows we were inches away from being a great team. [Instead], we have our below-.500 record."
Despite heavy rain and wind gusts from the remnants of Hurricane Noel, as well as a 14-11 shot disadvantage, the Judges stayed right with NYU until Burke's goal. The result was a reprieve of two crushing home overtime losses to Wheaton College 1-0 Sept. 19 and to the University of Rochester 2-1 Sept. 29. Five of the team's nine losses this season were by a single goal.
"This [game] was a representation of the season," defender Joe Levitan '08 said. "We play well, we play hard, and we get [opportunities to score], but we don't quite finish it up."
In the 89th minute, with the rain blowing into the Judges' defenders, Levitan deflected NYU's first shot attempt as the ball rolled to the middle of the goalie's box. An NYU player gained possession and attempted a shot, but goalie Taylor Bracken '10 made the initial save. Bracken then saved an NYU rebound attempt, but the Judges weren't able to clear the ball, and Burke was finally able to put the ball into the net to give NYU the lead.
NYU rookie midfielder Michael Burke scored on a loose ball in the Judges' goalie box with just 81 seconds remaining in regulation to give NYU a 2-1 victory in a game Brandeis had to win to have a chance at qualifying for the Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament. The team fell to 8-9-3 and ended the season, winless in the University Athletic Association at 0-6-1.
"The whole season flashed before my eyes [when Burke scored the goal]," midfielder Evan Duval '08 said.
Because they ended the year below .500, the Judges won't get a chance to defend the ECAC title they won last season. ECAC qualifiers must have either a divisional record or overall record above .500, according to Article B, Section 4 of the conference's 2007 men's soccer championships manual.
"We [kept] losing by a goal in overtime or near the end of the game to teams that were nationally ranked," coach Mike Coven said. "It shows we were inches away from being a great team. [Instead], we have our below-.500 record."
Despite heavy rain and wind gusts from the remnants of Hurricane Noel, as well as a 14-11 shot disadvantage, the Judges stayed right with NYU until Burke's goal. The result was a reprieve of two crushing home overtime losses to Wheaton College 1-0 Sept. 19 and to the University of Rochester 2-1 Sept. 29. Five of the team's nine losses this season were by a single goal.
"This [game] was a representation of the season," defender Joe Levitan '08 said. "We play well, we play hard, and we get [opportunities to score], but we don't quite finish it up."
In the 89th minute, with the rain blowing into the Judges' defenders, Levitan deflected NYU's first shot attempt as the ball rolled to the middle of the goalie's box. An NYU player gained possession and attempted a shot, but goalie Taylor Bracken '10 made the initial save. Bracken then saved an NYU rebound attempt, but the Judges weren't able to clear the ball, and Burke was finally able to put the ball into the net to give NYU the lead.
Be the first to comment on this story