WINTER PARK, Fla.
(October 27, 2007) ' In a repeat of last year's regular
season finale, Lynn midfielder Jean Alexandre scored the
game-winner off an assist by Lee Porter in a 2-1 result, sending
the Rollins men's soccer team into the postseason on a sour note.
The Tars finished the regular season with an overall record of
10-5-2 and a conference mark of 5-2-1, while No. 11 Lynn improved
to 15-1, 7-1 to clinch the right to host next week's Sunshine State
Conference Tournament as the top seed.
The game got off to a strange
start, as the Lynn defense passed the ball back and forth while the
Rollins attackers applied no pressure. Fifteen minutes passed and
neither team would give in, with Lynn waiting to act until Rollins
came forward and Rollins conceding possession until Lynn attacked.
The teams finally engaged each other with thirty minutes left in
the half, but the play moved along at a slow pace with fleeting
glimpses of action. The Fighting Knights out-shot the Tars 4-2 in
the opening frame, with Rollins' best attacking chance coming on a
header by junior Dennis Chin at the 29:53 mark after a cross from
the right side.
The pace quickened in the second
half, and Lynn was first to score on a header by Dwight Barnett in
the 59th minute. Keishen Bean dribbled around a defender on the
right side and sent in a cross, and Barnett was in position on the
back post to leap and head it into the net for his 14th goal of the
season. The Tars responded quickly, netting a goal less than a
minute later to tie the game at one; Lynn was called for a foul
near the right sideline for the Tars, and junior Jacob Deloach sent
the free kick inside to junior Dean Powles, who deflected it
through a Lynn defender and past the goalkeeper. The Fighting
Knights broke the tie at the 72:03 mark on a free kick of their
own; Porter took the kick off to the right side of the Rollins
wall, and Alexandre was able to turn on his defender and knock it
inside the far post.
Rollins goalkeeper Frazer Siddall
stopped five shots in goal for the Tars, while Lynn keeper Tim
Melia made two saves. The Fighting Knights led the final shot count
14-6, and they also held a 3-1 corner kick advantage. Tensions were
high throughout the game, with the teams combining for five yellow
cards and 35 total fouls.
The Tars appear to be entering
next week's SSC Tournament as the number three seed, meaning they
will host number six Eckerd on Tuesday, October 30 in the opening
round match-up. Should the Tars advance, they would travel to Boca
Raton for the final four of the tournament, hosted by Lynn on
Friday, November 2 and Sunday, November 4. For the latest updates
on pairings, times, and locations for the tournament, visit www.RollinsSports.com and
www.sunshinestateconference.com.
#TARS#
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