Friday, November 11, 2011

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Jonny Campbell knocked home the deciding penalty kicks and goalkeeper Ryan Coulter made four saves on penalty kicks as ETSU advanced past Stetson and into the 2011 A-Sun Men's Soccer Championship Final for the second-straight season.

ETSU, who won its last regular season game of the season to qualify for the championship, advances to the championship final to face No. 1 seed Florida Gulf Coast University, Sunday at 1 p.m. The Bucs are the first No. 6 seed to ever advance to the final in the championship’s 30-year history.

Campbell joined David Geno, Nate Hodges, Blaike Woodruff, and Alesi Osorio in scoring on penalty kicks for the Bucs. Kai Eckenrode, Elias Beates, Carrington Hogan and Joakim Helland scored on penalty kicks for the Hatters. Dan Billman replaced Andreas Schnabl in goal for Stetson in the penalty session, saving one shot in overtime while Bucs shooters Aaron Schoenfeld and Theo Yang missed two others. Coulter stopped the Hatters’ first, third, fifth and eighth attempts to help secure the win.

This marks the second time in school history that ETSU has come from two goals behind to tie a game.

The game provided plenty of drama from beginning to end. Stetson struck quickly to lead 1-0 in the fourth minute, as Luis Ocejo and Gonzalo de Mujica set up J.J. Bostic for a shot in the box that deflected off Coulter. The goal was Bostic’s second of the season. Less than four minutes later, Helland recorded his fifth goal of the season, blasting a free kick from 25 yards into the upper left net, and the Hatters led 2-0.

ETSU eventually settled down and began its own attack, as Frank Doumbe awakened the home crowd by stealing an attempted clear and breaking past Schnabl to cut the Bucs’ deficit to 2-1. The goal was Doumbe’s second of the year.

David Geno added the equalizer in the 48th minute, heading an Aaron Schoenfeld redirect of a Nate Hodges free kick past Schnabl. The Bucs appeared to have the game winner in the 87th minute, as Geno added his second of the game and ninth of the season off a cross from Itode Fubara.

Stetson was not done, however, as in the 89th minute the Hatters continued to push forward and Jonathan Mendoza sent a cross into the box that was deflected in goal by ETSU defender Jaron Westbrook, forcing overtime.

Each game of the 2011 Atlantic Sun Conference Men’s Soccer Championship can be viewed free on streaming broadcasts via ASun.TV.

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