Men’s Soccer Wins 2009 Skyline Men’s Soccer Championship, Earns NCAA Bid
Adam Rogers Heads-Up Play Leads Eagles to Back-to Back Titles
11/8/2009
Coram, N.Y - Senior forward Adam Rogers (Hauppauge, N.Y./Hauppauge HS) headed in a cross from freshman midfielder Doug Kane (Coram, N.Y./Newfield HS) in the 81st minute of the Skyline Conference championship game to lead St. Joseph’s (13-8) to a 2-1 victory over Old Westbury (12-9-1) and secure the Golden Eagles second consecutive Skyline Conference championship and an automatic berth in the 2009 NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament.
The third-seeded Old Westbury Panthers opened the scoring at 26:45 in the first half when Edwin Mejia put a shot past St. Joseph’s goalkeeper Mike Dougherty (Farmingville, N.Y./Connetquot HS) off a rebound. St. Joseph’s, the top-seed in the tournament, didn’t find the back of the net until the 54:18 mark of the second half, when junior Stephan Zaech (Farmingville, N.Y./Sachem East HS) scored off a deflection to tie the game 1-1.
The game remained tied deep into the second half when Kane’s cross was spectacularly headed in by Rogers from the right side of the box into the far left post. Rogers, who was named the Skyline Tournament’s Most Valuable Player, had scored both the opening and game-winning goal in the Golden Eagles 6-1 semifinal victory over fifth-seed NYU-Poly on Friday.
For St. Joseph’s, who made their maiden voyage into NCAA Championship play last year, they once again earn the opportunity to compete for a national championship. Led by Coach Gary Smith, in his 24th year at the helm of the program and a newly inducted member of the St. Joseph’s Golden Eagle Hall of Fame, the men’s soccer team becomes the seventh SJC squad to reach NCAA Tournament play.
The Golden Eagles were undefeated in Skyline Conference play this season as they posted an 8-0 mark during the regular season and an additional two victories in the postseason.
The NCAA will announce the brackets for the upcoming Division III Championship Tournament tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. at ncaasports.com. First-round play is expected to begin Thursday, November 12. Details will be posted on eagles.sjcny.edu as soon as they are available.
