#2 BEHREND SCORES UPSET VICTORY IN AMCC MEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
The No. 2 Penn State Behrend men's soccer team was victorious 5-4 in penalty kicks over No. 1 Alfred State College to earn the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Championship on Saturday afternoon.
The No. 2 Penn State Behrend men's soccer team was victorious 5-4 in penalty kicks over No. 1 Alfred State College to earn the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Championship on Saturday afternoon. The Lions captured their 11th AMCC Championship and first since 2019.
After a scoreless 90 minutes and two 10 minute overtime periods, Behrend and Alfred State remained deadlocked at zero. Each team sent out five players for the penalty shootout to decide Saturday's contest. The Pioneers found the back of the net from their first four players to take penalty kicks with scores coming from Chuck Domm, Jack Leahy, Jackson Powers, and Nuri Sarbudak. The Lions also capitalized on their first four attempts with scores by John Ziobro, Reilly Nickles, Blake Cooper, and Jac Caputo. On Alfred State's fifth shootout attempt, Behrend's freshman goalkeeper Anthony Scalise made a diving save to his left on the Alfred State shot. This stop by Scalise set the stage for Andrew Cassano. Cassano sent a shot to the lower left of the net that beat the Pioneers' goalkeeper to secure the penalty kick victory and the championship for the Lions.
Along with his pivotal save in the shootout, Scalise finished with five saves for his seventh shutout of the season.
Sophomore Owen Petersen led Behrend with two shots on goals, while Sarbudak tallied a game-high three shots with two of them being on goal for Alfred State.
After three seasons as an assistant coach, first-year head coach Chris Ralph led Behrend to its first conference title in five years.
The Lions have earned the AMCC automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament next weekend. The NCAA selection show is this Monday at 1:30 p.m.
All-Tournament Team:
Penn State Behrend: Andrew Cassano, Blake Cooper, Johnathan Swann
Alfred State: Jack Leahy, Henry Leahy, Jackson Powers
Mount Aloysius: Louis Bez, Luke Traynor
Pitt-Greensburg: Brett Barnes, Arlo McIntyre
Hilbert: Cam Murdie, Carter Burke
Pitt-Bradford: Kyle Carlson, Conner Rudsell