Seton Hill took on host and top seed Mercyhurst in the PSAC Men's Soccer Semifinal on Friday morning at the Mercyhurst Soccer Field. The Griffins were able to take the Lakers to the brink but a late goal tied the score at two and the Lakers ended the Griffins season 5:54 into the first overtime period. Mercyhurst advanced to the PSAC Final with a 3-2 victory. SHU ends the season with a 12-8 record.
The Lakers almost took advantage of a corner kick just four minutes into the contest after the Griffins could not clear the ball but their shot went just high. Three minutes later the Griffins were able to take advantage of a corner kick and take a 1-0 lead.
Rory McKinnon brought down
Joe Smith's corner and found a wide open
Curtis Gallagher who jumped to get the ball and used his foot to put the ball into the top of the net for the first goal of the contest.
Mercyhurst nearly tied the game in the 11
th minute after a free kick just outside the box. Their shot off the kick went just wide. With 30 minutes to play in the half, the Lakers tied the score at one. The Lakers Jorge Gonzalez found himself alone 5 yards from the top of the box and blasted a shot into the upper right hand corner of the net. The Lakers just missed again in the 24
th minute when a shot from the top of the box went just high. SHU had a great run from
Joe Smith in the 33
rd minute and he found
Harry Beattie alone in the box but a slide tackle from behind broke up the play and ended the threat.
After a big save from
Austin Iddon, McKinnon cleared a ball from the Griffins box four minutes into the second half to keep the game tied at one. Seton Hill took a 2-1 lead in the 55
th minute. A great play from
Mitchell Eger in the midfield found Gallagher down the left side. Gallagher then made a pass to
Harry Beattie who beat the keeper with a shot into the right side of the net. Just over a minute later, Smith had a nice look but missed over the bar.
Seton Hill had two more chances to increase their lead to 3-1 late in the contest. With 10 minutes to play, Gallagher found himself one on one with the keeper from about 25 yards out but the Hurst keeper made a kick save to keep the lead at one. SHU had their best chance to increase their lead with 6:30 left in the half. Urquhart let go a bullet from the top of the box but the Laker keeper was able to tip the ball over the cross bar. Mercyhurst then took advantage of a Griffin foul with three minutes to play. The Lakers scored off a Andrew Bennett header off the free kick to tie the score at one and send the game to overtime.
In overtime it was all Mercyhurst as they controlled possession. Iddon made a save off a corner with 6:30 to play in the first overtime period. A header off a corner went wide with 4:45 to play in the half. The Lakers then won the game less than a minute later when Gonzalez took possession in the midfield and weaved his way thru the Griffin defense and beat Iddon into the right side of the net for the game winner.
Mercyhurst outshot the Griffins 18-7 in the contest. Both teams had 9 corners in the contest. Iddon finished the game with 3 saves. Gallagher ended the day with a goal and an assist.