COLGATE TAKES RED RAIDER CLASSIC WITH DRAMATIC 4-3 DOUBLE-OVERTIME 
VICTORY AGAINST TOWSON

September 16, 2000  

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by Scott Schuster, Colgate Student Assistant 

Hamilton, N.Y. – In a dramatic 4-3 double overtime victory, the Colgate University men’s soccer team defeated the Towson to capture the Second Annual Red Raider Classic and extend the Red Raiders winning streak to three at Van Doren Field Saturday evening.

Senior defender Josh Viel scored the game-winning goal in the 116^th minute to give Colgate (3-3-0) the victory.  Viel received a pass from Red Raider Nick Smith, then proceeded to dribble around a Towson defender and past a diving Hicks to key Colgate’s exciting win.

“It feels good.  I haven’t scored from scrimmage all year, I’ve just been hitting PK’s and stuff like that,” Viel said.  “I’m just glad we won, and everyone worked real hard.”  

Viel’s dramatic overtime game-winner  was made possible after Zach Stuppy recorded the game-tying goal with 55 seconds remaining in regulation. Stuppy slid the ball into the goal past Towson goalkeeper Andy Hicks, as he received a great pass through the middle of the box from teammate Michael Henes.

“I was just in the right place at the right time.  Both times we were pushing up because we were down, and I’m normally a defender, but they pushed me up because we needed a little extra offense.” Stuppy said. “I scored a game-tying goal in high school, but college is a little bit different.  I guess it’s my welcome to college.”

Towson  (3-3-0) took a 3-2 lead in the game on midfielder Todd Lauber’s goal at the 71:36 mark and it looked as though that would be enough to give the Tigers the victory.  However, Stuppy’s second goal of the game prolonged the decision into overtime.  

After Towson took a 1-0 lead with an Alfonso DeMares goal in the 25^th minute, Colgate forward Brendan Skonieczki scored the equalizer with his sixth goal of the season on a rebound off a Hicks save.

DeMares led off the second half with a goal from the top of the box on a pass from Lauber, giving Towson the early second half lead.  Ten minutes later in the 64^th minute of play Stuppy recorded his first goal of his collegiate career, as he headed teammate Jon Gelman’s cross into the top left corner of the goal, again tying the score at 2-2.

Equally impressive was the play of freshman defender Brian McDermott who saved two Towson scoring chances, keeping the game within reach.

“We fought hard all night long.  I thought we got ourselves in a hole a couple of times, but we kept fighting out of it,” Colgate head coach Mike Doherty said. “We had freshman, sophomores, juniors, seniors, everyone just played well out there.”

The Red Raiders continue action against St. Bonaventure University on Wednesday at 7 PM at Van Doren Field.

In Saturday’s opener of the Red Raider Classic, the University of Albany defeated St. Peter’s University, 4-2.

Albany’s Charlie Justino opened the scoring with an early goal on a touch pass from teammate Tim Roty.  St. Peter’s responded quickly, as the brother connection of Timothy and Victor Lytvinenko connected on a cross that Timothy was able to pound into the right side of the net.

Albany (3-2-1) defender Jarvin Skeete provided a scoring punch with two key goals.  His first marker came on a give and go from teammate Bryan Grabon putting the Danes up 2-1 and then capping off Albany’s win with an unassisted goal as he worked his way through the St. Peter’s defense.

Nick Southworth scored Albany’s third goal of the night as he drilled a goal into the top left corner of the net from 20 yards out.

Melvin Umukoro scored for St. Peter’s (0-6-0) narrowing Albany’s lead at 3-2 as he took Robert Leverock’s  corner kick off of an Albany defender’s deflection and kicked it past the goalie.