Lasell, Potsdam Advance to Championship Game of Kick Off Tournament

NEWTON, MA- On first date of competition of the 2011 Lasell College men's soccer season, the Lasers hosted the 2^nd Annual Kick Off Classic on Taylor Field in front of a crowd of 300.  In an outstanding Laser showing, Lasell walloped Wheelock College, 16-0, in the first game of the day, breaking the institutional team record for most goals scored in a game, while Potsdam State defeated Baruch College in the second contest by a score of 4-3.  Lasell and Potsdam will face off in the Championship game tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. while Wheelock and Baruch will fight for 3^rd place in the consolation game of the tournament, set to begin at noon.

In addition to setting the impressive team record, Lasell's senior forward Jacob Allen (Westminster, MA) tied two of Lasell's all-time individual records for both goals in a game and points in a game. Allen produced four goals and two assists for 10 total points, earning a spot in the Lasell College record books alongside alumni Dan Hatch (Avon, MA) who previously held those records alone. 

A bakers dozen of players scored points for Lasell on opening day at Taylor Field.  Mike Skelton (Conway, NH) scored a hat trick while Cedric Dybaud (Weymouth, MA), Brennen Adams (Southbury, CT), and Peter Clark (Upton, MA) had a pair of goals each.  Evan Gaccione (Westerly, RI) and Jared Lewis (Haverhill, MA) added four points a piece, tallying one goal and two assists each. 

The Lasers wasted no time in making a statement, scoring three goals in 15 minutes to quickly break away from the Wildcats.  It took Lasell just over five minutes to get on the board with their first goal of the season, scored by Skelton, taking the assist from freshman Noel Rix (Rye, NH) on a cross from outside the eighteen.   Just before the 10 minute mark, Adam Luciano (Fairfield, CT) flicked in a shot at close range off a pass from Gaccione and Skelton struck again at 14:42 with a header off a throw in from Nery Guerra (Guatemala City, Guat.).  

Lasell kept Wheelock's goalkeeper Sunshine Shearer (English Harbor, Antigua) busy throughout the period, while Lasell's netminder Aren Moorman (Somerset, NJ) remained untested in net in the first half.   Wheelock's Jonathan Krouse (Northboro, MA) and Miles Carey-Snow (Brunswick, ME) got off the only two shots of the stanza for the Wildcats, each of which flew wide of the net.   

By the halftime break, Lasell had produced a 29-2 shot advantage and an 8-0 edge.

The nonstop Laser pressure continued early into the second half as Allen completed his hat trick off a corner kick by Gaccione in the 65th minute.  Ten minutes later, Allen would tie the Lasers all-time record for goals in a game when Nick Carroll (Meriden, CT) dished out his third assist of the game, sailing a long ball from the backfield to a sprinting Allen who corralled the ball before finding the back of the net. 

Krouse would produce Wheelock's only shot-on-goal 74 minutes into play, but Moorman came up with the save to preserve the shutout. 

With just 19 seconds left to play in the contest, Adams would cap all scoring taking help from Caroll to bring about the final score.  

Lasell dominated the offense, outshooting the Wildcats 55-3 throughout the game.  Shearer made 10 total saves in the contest, while Moorman picked up one save in his first career contest, also earning the shutout. 

In a much more evenly matched game, Baruch and Potsdam battled through three ties and four lead changes before the Bears eventually edged the Bearcats, 4-3.

Baruch was the first to score just 4:42 into the contest when Kyle Keague (Garden City, NY) drilled a shot off a pass from Alvaro Velasquez (New Rochelle, NY).  

Potsdam kept their cool and did not let the one goal deficit throw them off their game.   Just six minutes after Keague's goal, Stephen Auyer (Oswego, NY)) sniped a shot from 25 yards out, without help, lodging the ball just out of reach of Baruch goaltender Michael Murphy (Astoria, NY) to even the score.

The 1-1 stalemate held through the 28^th minute when Akil George (Arima, Trinidad & Tobago) knocked down the second Bearcat goal with a hard shot to the opposite corner from inside the goalkeepers box, unassisted. 

Potsdam answered with another tally two minutes later to knot the score for the second time.  This time, Eduardo Figueroa (Rochester, NY) set up the play by firing a shot which was deflected away hard by Murphy.  Auyer was there to pick up the rebound and wasted no time in returning the ball in the back of the Bearcats net.

The teams headed into the intermission in a 2-2 deadlock.

To open up the second half, Auyers completed his hat trick at 58:19 giving Potsdam their first lead of the game, 3-2.  Auyer's play began after he took a long pass from behind midfield, dribbled down the middle for an open shot, beating Murphy one-on-one.  

For nearly 20 minutes the Bears enjoyed a one-goal lead, however, Baruch did not back down leading to the final tie of the game in the 76th minute.  Keague attacked at 76:44 for his second goal of the day, taking help from Vincent Cruz (Torrington, CT) on the cross.  

The 3-all tie would not last long as Figueroa would put in the game winner just 2:15 later.   Figueroa collected a distance pass from Vic Colasacco (Oceanside, NY) and crossed in an angled shot from the left wing to enter the net, taking the 4-3 advantage which would sustain through the remainder of the contest. 

Joe Glackin (Latham, NY) would pick up the win in net for Potsdam, making five saves, as the Bears advanced to the championship game against Lasell on Sunday.  Murphy was hit with the loss, making 13 stops for the Bearcats. 

Baruch (0-2) and Wheelock (0-1) will battle for 3rd place in the tournament on Sunday, September 4th in the consolation game slated for 12:00 p.m. on Taylor Field, while Lasell (1-0) and Potsdam (1-0) will duke it out for the championship title at 2:30 p.m.