One of Vermont Soccer’s best seasons in recent memory ended in dramatic fashion Saturday at Centennial Field. UVM (seeded 4th) played host to the fifth-seeded University at Albany Great Danes and bowed out of the conference tournament in a penalty kick shootout by a score of 5-4. 110 minutes of action saw both teams fail to convert a goal in back and forth play that resulted in numerous scoring chances for both sides.
Freshman Lee Stephane Kouadio, who was shadowed by two and sometimes three Albany defenders on the day, made his entrance into the game with 23:30 left on the clock in the first half. He immediately made his presence felt, with a few good scoring chances thanks to the pinpoint passing of UVM midfielder Danny Broughan and fellow freshman forward Jordan Crasilneck. Albany saw a great opportunity of its own late in the half but was denied by UVM freshman keeper Tom Critz who just managed to tip away a one-timer by Stephan Hall.
With just over 6 minutes on the clock Kouadio showed no fear, charging after a ball into the box only to find 6-6″ 205 pound Albany goalie Steward Ceus standing square in his path. The two collided as they went for the ball and Lee took the brunt of it, as he was down on the field for more than five minutes. He walked off under his own power and returned to action to start the second half.
The collision seemed to have no ill effects on the Conference Rookie of the Year, Striker of the Year and First Team selection, as he made a run into the box just five minutes into the second stanza. The play resulted in a corner, but UVM was not able to take advantage, which would become a theme throughout the game, as the team failed to convert on its set plays off of corners and free kicks.
Albany saw perhaps its best chance of the day following a Catamount hand-ball, missing the direct kick inches past the left post with 8:30 left in regulation. Lee had yet another run into the box, but this time his game winning chance was broken up from behind on a fine tackle by Albany freshman back Erik DiLorenzo. Seconds later Kouadio fed Crasilneck with a beautiful pass, but the Oregon native failed to convert. The score remained unchanged at the end of regulation, 0-0.
Each side again failed to convert in the overtime periods. Tom Critz came up huge for the Catamounts with a diving save in the first session. In the second period Corey Bronner, who as always controlled play in the air, headed a Crasilneck free kick just past the right post and out of bounds. 110 minutes of action and still no score.
Time for penalty kicks. Two of UVM’s senior tri-captains, Matt Chew and Jesse Brady-Searby opened up the scoring for Vermont, easily beating Ceus. Unfortunately Albany matched the Cats kick for kick, as Panos Georgiadis and Danny Broughan also converted. Yan Gbolo, Albany’s fifth and final kicker found the back of the net, leaving the game and the season on the shoulders of UVM junior back Corey Bronner. Bronner pushed the ball past the right post and out of bounds, sending the Great Danes into celebration and leaving the Catamounts to console their star fullback who stood in disbelief with his hands on the back of his head staring at the goal.
“I am very proud of our season and what we accomplished as a team,” said Vermont coach Jesse Cormier. “This game did not represent the way the season felt at all. Today, we seemed a bit out of sync and we let a good Albany team be in a position to move on to the next round.”
UVM ends the 2005 season with an 11-5-3 record, the 6th most victories in program history. The team will return everyone but Jason Leahy, Brady-Searby and Chew, including All-Rookie Team Members Kouadio, Crasilneck and Connor Tobin as well as freshman keeper Tom Critz. Corey Bronner, Devin Bitsack, Georgiadis, Broughan, Chris Scherbel, Patrick Wyld, Justin Geibel, Halvor Mikkelsen and Ashton Harrewyn lead the list of returning upper class contributors.
These young and energetic Catamounts will be back next year, with invaluable experience and a hunger to stake claim to the Conference Championship.
