NEW BRITAIN, Conn. ? The Monmouth University men's soccer team won their fourth consecutive Northeast Conference Regular Season Championship with a 2-1 double overtime win over Central Connecticut State on Sunday afternoon. The Hawks, who conclude the regular season with a 12-3-3 record and a 6-1-2 mark in the conference, will host the 2008 NEC Tournament this Friday and Sunday on The Great Lawn as the league's regular season champion.
“This is absolutely an incredible achievement,” said MU head coach Robert McCourt. “I tried to refrain from mentioning age as a factor this season with our very young club; to be able to win this championship is a testament to their ability and character. Their backs were against the wall again today and they rose up to the occasion.”
Monmouth got the match's game-winning goal from sophomore Chase Barbieri (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough), who scored in the second overtime after fellow sophomore Ryan Kinne (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck) flicked the ball to him after receiving a corner from senior Rich Baker (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City). Barbieri one-touched the ball passed the keeper for his team-leading sixth game-winner, and tenth goal, of the season; when the sophomore from Hillsborough, N.J. scored the game-winner, MU had five freshmen and four sophomores on the field.
The Hawks were able to tie in match in the 80th minute when senior Andreas Klang (Gothemberg, Sweden/Brevard CC) took on three Blue Devils at the top of the box and blasted a shot passed the keeper to knot the match at 1-1. This marked the second straight year that Klang sent the Hawks' regular season finale into overtime with a goal in a match that MU would eventually clinch the regular season title in. Last year he nailed the equalizer in the 85th minute at Saint Francis (Pa.) in a match that Monmouth would win to clinch the regular season crown.
CCSU took a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute when Connor Smith received a long ball and delivered a cross to Raphael Guimaraes for the goal.
Monmouth outshot Central 28-14 in the match, including 6-2 in the overtime sessions. MU also held a 9-7 advantage on corner kicks while CCSU's two keepers, Nick Soares and Paul Armstrong, combined to make seven saves. MU keeper Bryan Meredith (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood) made three saves for the victory.
The Hawks, who are the first NEC team to win four straight regular season league titles, did so without having a single player earn either NEC Rookie of Player of the Week during the regular season.
Monmouth now hosts the 2008 NEC Men's Soccer Championships this Friday and Sunday on The Great Lawn. The top-seeded Hawks host fourth-seeded Mount St. Mary's in Friday's first match, with second-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson facing off against #3 Quinnipiac in the second contest on Friday. The winners play on Sunday in the championship match.
