Jones and Torrano Earn All-CAC Honors

The Frostburg State senior duo of Chris Jones and Pablo Torrano were both named to the All-Capital Athletic Conference Men's Soccer First Team.

Jones and Torrano helped propel the Bobcats to a 12-6 overall record and a berth in the CAC Tournament semifinals for the second-consecutive year.

 

Jones, a defender, garnered his second-straight first-team award after finishing third in the league in goals (8) and fifth in points (19). A California, Md. native, Jones was one of three players on the roster to start all 18 games, while helping FSU to a 1.21 goals against average with seven shutouts.

 

Torrano, a forward, finished second on the team with 15 points behind seven goals and one assist. He totaled five game-winning goals, including the winner over Mary Washington in the CAC Tournament opening round.

 

For a complete list of the All-CAC Men's Soccer Teams - click here

Lebanon Valley Defeats Bobcats in ECAC Semi-finals

The season came to an end on Saturday when we lost our semi-final match to Lebanon Valley 4-1.  It's not the way we hoped the season would end and I certainly do not think the score was indicative of the game, but its soccer and that's how it goes sometimes.

Lebanon Valley was a very active team and did a good job of moving off the ball and pressuring our defense.  We never quite found any attacking flow and did not connect passes like we did on Wednesday night.

They scored two goals off of set pieces in the first half.  The first was a long throw-in that we did not clear and the loose ball was played to a Lebanon Valley player and he beat goal keeper Drew Hock for the lead.  The second was a free kick that the GK came out for and miss-timed and again the ball fell to a Lebanon Valley player who shot it into an open net.  We ended the half with a 6-5 lead in shots, but found ourselves down 2-0.

The second half we made a few adjustments and pressed hard to get back in the game.  We created some good opportunities, but failed to get that goal that would spur on our comeback.  With everyone pushing forward Leb Valley would score their third goal with about eight minutes left when after a counter attack we were exposed in the back and they were able to beat goal keeper Hassan Mostafa with a lofted shot.  Jared Fohs would answer back for us just 14 seconds later to make it 3-1, but Leb Valley would get their fourth with two minutes remaining off a deflected shot that caught the keeper going the wrong way.  We ended the half with 9-3 advantage in shots, but again gave up two goals and struggled to find the back of the net.

I thought we fought hard and played to the end, but just didn't make enough good things happen  while Lebanon Valley did a good job of capitalizing on their limited opportunities.  The seniors certainly left it all on the field and could walk-off knowing they put forth an honest effort.  That makes three years in a row that we have advanced to the CAC semi-finals and the ECAC Tournament.  Hopefully next year we can make a run that will get us to the CAC finals and a possible bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Two Second Half Goals put Bobcats in the ECAC Semi-finals

Seniors - Michael Norman and Kunle Akeifeleye

On a very cold night in early November the boys kept their home unbeaten streak alive.  Two second half goals from Michael Norman and Kunle Akinfeleye helped us advance to the semi-finals of the ECAC Tournament with a 2-1 win over Washington and Jefferson.

I thought we played one of our better games of the year as far as moving the ball around and trying to find some combination play.  We pressed them from the beginning and tried to create  turnovers that would lead to counter-attacking opportunities.  The turnovers led to some good possession for us, but we struggled to convert the final pass to create the easy scoring opportunity.  At the end of the half W&J held a slight 6-5 lead in shots.

The second half we kept up the pressure and countered much more efficiently creating more scoring opportunities and would out-shoot the President's 12-2 in the second half.  Michael Norman got us on the board 10 minutes in when he knocked home a corner kick from Alex Brainard. 

http://youtu.be/4h_7O7nvSA4 - Norman goal 

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The lead was short lived as W&J would equalize just minutes later when we failed to clear a ball in the box and it would lead to a tap in from about six yards out.  Kunle Akinfeleye would net the game winner jut six minutes later when he followed up his own shot after a great feed from Chris Herbert.

http://youtu.be/z-YIP49wPqE - Kunle goal

The win puts us in the semi-finals where we will face Lebanon Valley College at 4pm on Saturday at Swarthmore College.  The winners of the semi-final games will be meet at 3pm on Sunday at Swarthmore for the ECAC South Region Championship.

Frostburg State has been selected for the ECAC Championships and has been awarded the #2 seed.  Swarthmore College has been awarded the #1 seed and will host the four team final four on the weekend if they advance from the first round.

We will host Washington and Jefferson College on Wednesday night at 7pm.  We have already played W&J this year at home and escaped with a narrow 3-2 victory after scoring the winning goal in the closing seconds.

Here is the rest of the bracket:

First Round – Wednesday, Nov. 13

East Region 
Penn State Abington (10-4-3) at Swarthmore (9-5-4), 7:00 PM
Muhlenberg (9-7-1) at Marywood (13-3-2), 5:00 PM

West Region
Washington & Jefferson (10-6-3) at Frostburg State (12-6-0), 7:00 PM
Lebanon Valley (10-7-3) at Juniata (13-6-2), 2:00 PM

Semifinals – Saturday, Nov. 16th at Highest Remaining Seed

 At the conclusion of the quarterfinals teams will be reseeded based on the below overall regional seeds. The highest remaining seed will play the lowest remaining seed.

1. Swarthmore College	5. Lebanon Valley College
2. Frostburg State University	6. Juniata College
3. Marywood University	7. Muhlenberg College
4. Penn State Abington	8. Washing & Jefferson College

Championship – Sunday, November 17th at Highest Remaining Seed
Two Semifinal Winners, TBD

FSU Eliminated from CAC Playoffs

The title run for 13 seniors ended on Wednesday as were defeated by Salisbury 1-0.  This makes the third straight year we advanced to the CAC semi-finals, but have been unable to get to the championship game.

Overall I thought we gave a strong effort.  Salisbury is a good team and was probably the better team on the day, but we played well enough to keep ourselves in the game and had a few opportunities to get on the board.

It was a typical FSU - Salisbury match with a lot of physical play.  Both teams got their share of hits in including five yellow cards and a red card as time expired.  Salisbury was very dangerous on the counter, but our backline held strong and was able to keep the Sea Gulls out of the goal for most of the game. 

With under 10 minutes to play Salisbury was awarded a free kick near the top corner of the box.  As the ball was served everyone attacked the ball and unfortunately the ball got flicked and found its way to an open Salisbury player at the corner of the six yard box.  The Salisbury player shot it back across the goal out of the reach of keeper Hassan Mostafa.

It's tough to see the season come to a close for the seniors.  You always wish you could give them one more game or get them a little further than they got the year before, but unfortunately this will make the third straight elimination in the semi-final round. We have put in for the ECAC Championships so hopefully we'll get the chance to play a few more games and give the senior class a chance to close their season out with a win.

ECAC bids will come out Monday afternoon after the NCAA selections.

Bobcats Advance to CAC Semi-finals

Senior Pablo Torrano

CAC playoffs began Saturday afternoon and we had to make a return trip to the University of Mary Washington.  The game was very similar to the first match as both teams were pretty evenly matched, but this time were able to come away with the narrow 1-0 victory and advance to the CAC semi-finals on Wednesday.

The first half was even as both teams recorded just three shots a piece.  The second half was a little more open as both teams pushed for the go ahead goal.  Pablo Torrano got the game winner early in the 2nd half when he took a feed from Chris Jones that split the defenders and put him in on goal.  Torrano calmly placed the ball to the side of the charging UMW keeper.  Both teams would create 2 or 3 clear scoring opportunities, but would be unable to capitalize on them.

As the game winded down Mary Washington pushed for the equalizer and we pushed for the insurance goal to put the game away.  It would lead to an exciting finish as both teams left it all on the field and in the closing seconds we would clear two rebounds off the goal line to preserve the win and move on to the next round.

Freshman keeper Hassan Mostafa had a very strong game in goal and did a great job of dealing with the flighted balls and the dangerous UMW set pieces.  This was a big win for us as it was a road win on grass against a very good team.  Hopefully the confidence will carry over to the semi-finals on Wednesday.

The semi-finals are set for Wednesday afternoon at 2pm at Salisbury.  Salisbury enters the game with a 16-2 record and the top seed in the playoffs.

Bobcats End Season with Dissappointing Loss

The final season wrapped up Wednesday afternoon with an away match at the #16 nationally ranked York College Spartans.  An early goal and a second tally in the first half was too much for us to overcome as we dropped the season finale 2-1.

The energy around the game was a little odd as both teams were already assured of their playoff spot and pride was the only thing left to play for.  We decided to give freshman Jackson Bicknell his first start of the season in goal to see what he would look like against a tough opponent.  Despite surrendering an early goal Jackson rebounded well and put together a solid performance.

York got on the board with just under 4 minutes played when we failed to track a runner on a through ball and then his pass across the box was run onto by a York player beating the FSU player to the ball.  We sort of fell asleep on the play and put ourselves in hole that we didn't want to be in.  The boys responded well and played a solid first half and created just as many scoring opportunities while actually out shooting York for the half, but surrendered another goal on a similar play later in the half to go down 2-0.

The second half was similar to the first as both teams probably split possession and scoring opportunities.  In true Frostburg fashion we began to push forward and gain momentum and just minutes after Chris Jones fired one off the post he tallied his team leading eighth goal of the season when he calmly placed home a feed from Kyle Walczak deep inside the box.  It was a good finish by the team, but still not the performance we needed to get at least one signature win on the season.  We finish the season 11-5 and the #5 seed in the CAC playoffs.

http://youtu.be/r0JX_DW5c8s - Jones goal     

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We will be at Mary Washington on Saturday for a 2pm kick-off.  The winner will then face #1 seed Salisbury on Wednesday afternoon.

CAC TOURNAMENT BRACKET

(all games played at higher-seeded team; game times TBA)
  FIRST ROUND SEMIFINALS CHAMPIONSHIP
Sat., Nov. 2 Wed., Nov. 6 Sat., Nov. 9

                                                              at #1 Salisbury

#5 Frostburg State

at #4 Mary Washington
                                                                                                             2013 Champion
  #6 Wesley                                                                                            

at #3 Christopher Newport

                                                            at #2 York 

Mary Washington Scores Twice in the Second Half to Drop the Bobcats

With a road win on Saturday afternoon we would lock up the #4 seed in the CAC playoffs and would face Mary Washington at home this coming Saturday. 

It seemed like fate was against us from the beginning as our charter bus broke down and the replacement bus showed up 2 hours late and forced our game to be pushed back an hour to 4:30pm.  We got off the bus dressed and ready to go and after a brief 15 minute warm up we kicked off.

We were not pretty to start the game and Mary Washington used the momentum to their advantage and carried a good portion of the play.  We held strong and weathered the storm and were able to get to the half tied 0-0.

I actually thought we played better in the second half as we were able to get some possession back and created a few scoring opportunities.  However, there were a few moments in the game when we switched off and left some players free or let ourselves get exposed 1v1 and Mary Washington would capitalize to take the 1-0 lead.  Mary Washington sealed the game with five minutes left as we pushed forward for the equalizer and got countered.

We did not get the job done when we needed to.  Although the travel delays certainly didn't help, I don't think that had anything to do with the outcome of the game.  We need to play with more conviction and impose our style of play on the game and we did not do that on Saturday.

The regular season will wrap up on Wednesday as we travel to York for a 4pm kick-off.  York has locked up the #2 seed in the CAC playoffs.  The loss against Mary Washington now puts us as the #5 seed in the CAC Tournament and we will travel to Fredericksburg, VA to play Mary Washington again this Saturday at 2pm.

Seniors Lead the Way to Shut-out of St. Mary's

It was a special day on Saturday afternoon as we said thank you and goodbye to 13 seniors who would play in their final home game of the season.  Making their final home appearance were two year seniors; Pablo Torrano, Phil Nana, Kunle Akinfeleye, Bernard Fatusin, and Collin Sainz, three year seniors; Jared Fohs and Raphael Adjeoda along with four year seniors; Chris Jones, Drew Hock, Jason Bennett, Alex Brainard, Michael Norman, and Brandon Rodgers.  Three seniors would tally on the day to lift the Bobcats to a 4-0 win over St. Mary's College.

 

Jason Bennett got things started early as he hit a well struck ball passed the St. Mary's keeper after a failed clearance by the St. Mary's defense ended up at his feet just inside the box.

 

http://youtu.be/EKWLwbhgnTM - Bennett goal 

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We went to the half with a 1-0 lead, but were playing well and did a good job of keeping the St. Mary's offense in check only allowing three shots.  The second half we continued to keep up the pressure and although it took almost 20 minutes, we once again finished strong with three goals in the final 25 minutes.

 

Chris Jones scored his team leading seventh goal of the season as he re-directed a Kyle Walczak corner kick into the net.  Senior Kunle Akinfeleye would put Joe Clarke in for his second goal of the season after he maneuvered around a St. Mary's defender and beat the keeper.  Akinfeleye would net his fourth of the season when fellow classmate Raphael Adjeoda outraced the defender to the ball and found Akinfeleye in front of the goal.

 

http://youtu.be/MS4QVFLRohI - Jones goal

 

http://youtu.be/NWx8_3fL-fA - Clarke goal     

 

http://youtu.be/cIwjOu-icss - Akinfeleye goal 

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100%It was nice to end the regular season with an undefeated home record (8-0) and to send the seniors out with a home shut-out.  All the seniors got in the game including injured goalkeeper Drew Hock who was able to start the match and then was subbed out after the kick-off. 

 

The playoff picture is still uncertain as some teams still have three games to play.  We have a mid week bye this week and will play Mary Washington at 3:30pm on Saturday at UMW.  I believe a win will get us no worse than a #4 seed for the playoffs.  Currently we stand at 11-3 overall and 4-2 in the CAC.

 

 

FSU Rebounds From Slow Start to Score Six

Junior Bryan Lentine

It was not a good game for about 60 minutes, but the boys responded late and finished off Southern Virginia in the second half for a 6-1 win.

We got off to an early start again when Bryan Lentine scored his first collegiate goal from a Kyle Walczak corner kick just seven minutes into the game.

http://youtu.be/m9BsiOdwqPQ - Lentine Goal 


Senior Michael Norman

   

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After that we had a let down and quite honestly played some of our worst soccer of the season.  The intensity dropped off, the composure on the ball was lacking, and the ability to string passes together was non-existent.  Southern Virginia did their best to take advantage off our poor performance and created a few scoring opportunities from set pieces and long throw-ins.

The second half was a little more of the same and after some poor defending we surrendered a penalty kick and were tied 1-1.  Fortunately for us the goal did wake us up and sparked a bit more effort in the boys.  Their level of play went up and they decided to finally play some soccer.

Kyle Walczak started the come back when he scored his first goal of the season about midway through the half.  Just three minutes later after a nice overlapping run Michael Norman found Nabayee Tesfu with a nice service in front of the goal for the open header.

http://youtu.be/_nBx0OXfS4M - Walczak goal

http://youtu.be/p7AWMGo6fzs - Tesfu goal 
   

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We finished with a flurry again as we tallied three more times in the final eight minutes.  Michael Norman scored his first of the season on a nice half volley that beat the keeper while Brandon Rodgers flicked home a corner kick and Alex Brainard finished off the scoring with a nice strike to beat the keeper from the top of the box.

 

http://youtu.be/tBv-WygP2Zo - Norman goal  

 

http://youtu.be/z2jmSG7XUvc - Rodgers goal     

 

 http://youtu.be/pJrIpsIGypM - Brainard goal 

   

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100%We were hoping for a better performance coming off the CNU loss, but we did what we needed to do to get the win.  We will have to be better on Saturday as we prepare to say goodbye to 13 seniors and will need the win against St. Mary's to clinch a playoff berth.

Newport uses Strong 2nd Half to Defeat FSU

Freshman Chris Herbert

On Saturday afternoon Christopher Newport rallied to defeat FSU 5-1.

We had a great first half and did exactly what we had set out to do.  I thought we pressed well, cut off the service to their forwards, and played with a high work rate.  We were even at shots for the half, 7-7, and had the slight 1-0 lead after Chris Herbert found the back of the net after CNU failed to clear a corner kick.

The second half was a different story as CNU came out with an intensity that we didn't match.  They started to dictate the tempo and got two early goals to take the lead about 10 minutes into the half.  I thought we struggled to respond to their early pressure and unlike Wednesday night where we always believed we would win I started to think the guys were second guessing themselves.  To make matters worse, Pablo Torrano picked up his second yellow with 30 minutes remaining and made it that much harder for us to respond.

We had no choice but to take some risks and go for it as we were down a goal and a man.  Unfortunately Newport took advantage of the spaces we left open and the fatigue of our players started to show later in the half.  CNU would tally three more times and hand us our worst loss of the season.

There are definitely some lessons to be learned from this game and hopefully we will respond accordingly as we prepare for the final 4 games of the season.  We are back at home this week on Wednesday as we take on CAC newcomer Southern Virginia at 5pm.

Jones's Late Game Heroics Rescue Bobcats

Senior Chris Jones

Chris Jones recorded his first collegiate hat-trick in dramatic fashion leading FSU to a 4-3 come from behind win against Marymount University.

The game started out even as both teams were adjusting to the rain and field conditions, but an early free kick by Marymount would give them the 1-0 lead.  Later in the half Marymount would again score on a free kick to take the 2-0 half-time lead.

We came out pressing and tweaked the line-up a little to be more offensive, but we got caught on a counter and on what may have been their first shot of the half a Marymount player hit a beautiful upper 90 shot and we were down 3-0.

This team has always shown a lot of heart and we were going to need it to get ourselves back into this one.  The push was on and were sending guys forward from all positions.  Basically down to two in the back we tried to keep Marymount pinned in their half.  Alex Brainard got us on the board with just 16 minutes remaining in the game when he one-timed a pass from Jason Bennett and blasted it over the keeper from about 20 yards out.

With just under 10 minutes left Jones headed home a beautifully driven cross from Jonah Mohre.  It took Jones less than three minutes to get his second when Jared Fohs played a diagonal ball in behind the back line for Jones to run onto to beat the keeper.  Incredibly Jones would win the game just 43 seconds later when he headed home a Bernard Fatusin free kick.

The boys did a good job seeing out the remaining 6:30 minutes to pick up their third CAC win of the year.  The game was getting heated when we started to make our run and in the final six minutes, three players were sent off for picking up their second yellow cards of the match.  Jason Bennett will have to miss this weekends match against Christopher Newport University.

Torrano Stays Hot for Bobcats

Senior Jared Fohs

Pablo Torrano continued his scoring ways as he tallied two more times to lead the Bobcats to a 3-1 win over Wesley College on Saturday afternoon.

We got off to another quick start when freshman Nabayee Tesfu scored his first collegiate goal when he volleyed home a long throw-in from Jared Fohs just minutes after kick-off.

http://youtu.be/xaVDjKBnTyA - Tesfu Goal 
   

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Torrano got his first of the game about five minutes later when he chipped the keeper after another Fohs throw-in put Torrano in behind the back-line.

http://youtu.be/IZqPFPbTyEs - Torrano Goal #1 

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The rest of the half was pretty uneventful as neither team seemed to register many scoring opportunities. 

The second half started like the first half when a Pablo Torrano shot was deflected and caught the keeper going the wrong way just three minutes into the half.  We were hoping that would put the game away, but to Wesley's credit they did not quit and were played us pretty even the rest of the match.  Wesley would get one back when a header off a free kick was saved by Hassan Mostafa, but the rebound went off the Wesley players arm and into the goal.  Despite the assistant referee bringing it to the referee's attention the goal was allowed.

http://youtu.be/CSOy28lB6HM - Torrano Goal #2 
   

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We didn't play our best game of the year, but we were happy with the three points and are just trying to focus on doing some of the little things better and be more efficient with the soccer ball.

We will be on the road Wednesday to face Marymount University at 7pm at Long Bridge Park.

Torrano leads Bobcats Past Lions

Senior Pablo Torrano

Wednesday night we had our first home CAC contest against conference newcomer Penn St. Harrisburg.  Pablo Torrano tallied two goals and Chris Jones netted his second of the season for the 3-0 win.

We started the match strong and with a little help from the PSH goalkeeper we got on the board early when he couldn't keep out a fairly routine shot by Torrano in the seventh minute.  I never thought we were in too much danger of surrendering a goal, but I thought we could have controlled the tempo of the game better after the early goal.

http://youtu.be/lXqnQqvfFpg - Torrano goal #1     

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Torrano would get his second of the match with 10 minutes remaining in the half when he challenged the keeper for a loose ball and was able to put away the turnover for the easy score.

 

http://youtu.be/PDifR2wCQaU - Torrano goal #2 

   

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The second half we had a better focus and dictated the tempo of the game.  We held PSH to 1 shot and registered 14 of our own.  Chris Jones found the back of the net late in the half when he headed a ball off a PSU player from a Kyle Walczak corner kick.

 

http://youtu.be/B5tBHxxjDZ0 - Jones goal     

 

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It's nice to get our first CAC win of the season as we look to pick up 3 more points this weekend when we face Wesley College at 2pm at Bobcat Stadium.

Bobcats Drop CAC Opener to #24 Salisbury

On Saturday afternoon the boys dropped a hard fought contest to #24 ranked Salisbury University 1-0.

In the first half Salisbury carried the possession as we played a little more defensive and wanted to absorb the early pressure.  I thought we did a good job staying organized and limited their quality scoring opportunities, but we switched off for a moment and left some guys open near the box after a contested header that we couldn't clear away.  Salisbury picked up the loose ball and after 1 pass found the back of the net with just under 3 minutes to play in the half.

The second half we came out much stronger and began to apply more pressure to the Salisbury defense.  Chris Herbert made a good run into the box and was fouled for a penalty kick just minutes into the half.  We did not convert, but kept our heads up and kept fighting to get the equalizer.  We gave good effort all the way to the end, but still came up short.

I thought the boys put out their best effort of the season, but at the same time we are not happy with the loss.  We know playing Salisbury, CNU, Mary Washington, and York all away from home this year will be a tough road to travel, but we are still setting our sights on a top 4 finish which will guarantee us at least 1 home game in the CAC playoffs.

We will look to get our first conference win on Wednesday when we host CAC new-comer Penn St. Harrisburg at 7pm at Bobcat Stadium.

FSU Rolls Past Hood 3-1

Senior Defender Bernard Fatusin

The boys closed up their non-conference schedule with a 3-1 road win over Hood College on Wednesday.

Defenders Bernard Fatusin and Jason Bennett had a hand in all 3 goals as Fatusin opened the scoring in the first five minutes of  the match while Bennett doubled the lead 15 minutes later.  Fatusin would also assist on the third goal of the game while Joe Clarke picked up his first goal of the season.

I thought we played fairly well to start the game and had some nice possession leading to a few early scoring opportunities.  Bernard made a nice run from the back and was able to get in behind the Hood defense after a nice give and go and perhaps a fortunate bounce off the defender.  He snuck the ball past the keeper near post just as the goalie was about to cheat for the cross.

http://youtu.be/-NQLyHM7yoQ - Fatusin goal

Jason Bennett picked up his first goal of the season after a nice switching of the point of attack allowed him to dribble towards the box and get a shot off to the far corner beating the keeper.     

http://youtu.be/O1832GHHfA0 - Bennett goal

The third goal from Joe Clarke came off another run out of the back from Fatusin and after beating the defender 1v1 he found Clarke for a shot inside the box (unfortunately no video of this goal). 

Overall it was nice to get the road win and close up the non-conference schedule with a 6-1 record.  Our defense played well again only allowing an unfortunate PK with about 3 minutes left in the match.  Freshman GK Jackson Bicknell got his first minutes of the season subbing in for Hassan Mostafa in the second half and Kyle Walczak and Mitchell Muise both played their first minutes of the season after being out with injuries to start the year.

CAC play will begin this weekend with an away match against Salisbury at 2pm.

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Second Half Spurt Gives Bobcats First Road Win

Senior Alex Brainard

Tuesday night the boys took on former AMCC rival Penn St. Altoona.  The game entered the second half deadlocked at 0-0, but senior Alex Brainard would supply the go ahead goal seven minutes into the half and classmate Brandon Rodgers would add the insurance with just under 10 minutes to go for the 2-0 road win.

The first half both teams were kind of feeling each other out.  I thought we missed some opportunities to get on the board, but at least we were creating scoring chances.  Both teams recorded 5 shots, but Altoona's best opportunity came off a free kick that GK Drew Hock was able to dive and touch wide of the goal.

The second half we came out strong and controlled the tempo.  Brainard got us on track after hitting a nice left footed shot to the far corner well out of the reach of the Altoona keeper.  After the goal Altoona seemed to pick up their play, but our defense stayed compact and held the Lions to only 1 shot in the half.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c5WI4jUxrs&feature=youtu.be - Altoona video

With about 10 minutes left Rodgers got a hold of a loose ball in the box and buried it in the back of the net to secure the win.  It was nice to get our first road victory and with 1 non-conference game remaining we now stand out 5-1 on the season.

We have a bye this weekend and hopefully that will allow a little more time for some of the injured guys to get back on the field and get their fitness back.  We will be at Hood College at 4pm on September, 25th.

Men's Soccer Scores Two Late Goals to Defeat Presidents

Senior Chris Jones

Senior Chris Jones rescued the game for us with his second goal of the match with just fifty seconds remaining as the boys battled back and scored two goals in the final 6:30 minutes to defeat Washington and Jefferson College 3-2.

We started out nicely stringing some passes together and looking for combinations to get in behind their defense.  Jones made a run out of the back and kept going while Alex Brainard and Pablo Torrano played a nice up-down-thru to find Jones penetrating their back line.  Jones calmly floated a shot over the charging keeper for the 1-0 lead just 11 minutes into the game.

http://youtu.be/VcmPwbehiI4  - Jones Goal

Unfortunately we switched off soon after on a free kick and allowed two unmarked Presidents to get in behind our defense off a second service and the game was tied at 1-1 just two minutes later.  We controlled much of the tempo for the remainder of the half but could not find the second goal.

We started the second half positively and again were looking for many more combinations than we had tried in the previous game.  However, once again after looking pretty solid we failed to clear a ball from our box twice and it found its way to an open W&J player who put a nice shot in the corner out of the reach of our keeper.

This gave us a chance to see what we were made of and if we could handle a little adversity.  We kept pressing and putting the W&J goal under duress, but it would take until the 84th minute to find the equalizer.  Jonah Mohre sent a shot towards the goal off a cleared corner kick and Kunle Akinfeleye re-directed it towards the corner to find the back of the net. Akinfeleye now leads the team in goals with three.

     http://youtu.be/KplsVPC3Dy0  - Akinfeleye Goal 

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The intensity of the game rose as we pushed even more for the game winner.  With just 50 seconds remaining Jared Fohs tossed a long throw into the box and several Bobcats went up to get the ball.  The W&J keeper could not get through the scrum of FSU attackers and the ball dropped right in front of the goal when Jones pounced on it for his second of the game.

 

http://youtu.be/Xbd-vFF4eko  - Jones Goal #2 

 

With two non-conference games left before CAC play we hope to continue our winning ways when head to Altoona on Tuesday for a 6pm game.

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Men's Soccer Suffers First Defeat of Season

We were at McDaniel on Saturday for our first road contest of the year.  I don't know if it was adjusting to the travel or playing on grass, but we just never got anything going and were defeated 3-0.

It was one of those games that we kind of saw coming.  Eventually someone was going to capitalize on the mistakes that we were making and McDaniel certainly did that.  About 15 minutes into the first half McDaniel put together a decent passing sequence aided by our lack of pressure on the ball and found the back of the net.  We struggled to generate much offense, but did start to gain a little possession toward the end of the half.

I thought we started out the second half looking pretty strong and felt it was just a matter of time before we got back into the game, but then we committed a stupid foul on the top of box which resulted in another McDaniel goal.  With 10 minutes remaining our center back got stripped and allowed McDaniel in on goal for their third of the game.

If nothing else hopefully this will serve as a wake up call and the boys will learn that against good teams little things can cost us the game.

We will have the opportunity to get back on track at home on Wednesday night as we face Waynesburg College at 7pm.

Bobcats Make it Three in a Row

We are still not playing up to our potential, but we are finding ways to win games and that is a good thing.  Wednesday night the boys found the back of the net three times to blank Bethany 3-0.

We have not played the prettiest style of soccer as we are struggling with doing a lot of the little things correctly, but we are keeping good shape in the back and not allowing to many scoring opportunities.  The offense is doing just enough to get us on the board and claim victory, but as the season progresses we'll need to be better on the ball and with our decision making.

Pablo Torrano got us on track early as he skillfully volleyed home a rebound off a shot by Jared Fohs in the third minute.  We controlled most of the play, but Bethany did create a few opportunities including a questionable off sides call that went in our favor when they were in on goal for a clear breakaway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUeM3vBEXbU

We seemed to calm down and gain a little more control in the second half.  Freshman Chris Herbert notched his second goal of the season when he followed up another rebound off a Torrano shot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VfzWdZAeZg

Kunle Akinfeleye also tallied his second goal of the season when he out raced a defender and the goalkeeper to slot home the third goal of the game late in the match.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrQrv5AO7Gk

Senior Drew Hock picked up his second win of the season in goal while the defense of Chris Jones, Bernard Fatusin, Jared Fohs, Bryan Lentine, and Phil Nana combined for their third shut out of the season.

We will return to action Saturday at McDaniel College for a 4:30pm Kick-off.

FSU Defends Tournament Title

The boys claimed their third straight FSU Kick-off Tournament Championship this past weekend.  All the games were fairly competitive as three out of four went to overtime.

On Friday night we faced off against Grove City College.  This was a hard fought game as both teams worked extremely hard and had a lot of energy on opening day.  Neither team produced too many scoring opportunities, but Grove City did hold the advantage in shots.

With about a minute and a half left in the second overtime senior Chris Jones made a tackle in the box and freshman Chris Herbert launched a ball all the way down field to a charging Pablo Torrano.  Torrano took off and out competed two Grove City defenders for the ball and tucked away a left-footed shot in the corner to give us the opening day win.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUp6PeHquZU

On day two the boys were able to get in more of a rhythm against Pitt Greensburg and were able to knock the ball around a little bit more.  Late in the first half Kunle Akinfeleye tapped home a sitter as Chris Jones slid the ball across the box after a corner kick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiw9mKk8iFI

Freshman Chris Herbert notched his first collegiate goal minutes after to give us the 2-0 lead and all the insurance we would need.  The defense did well holding Greensburg to just two shots including zero in the second half.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9PKbkSutzs

It was a great way to start the season getting two shut-outs at home, but we know we have a lot of work to do still.  We had some guys step up and play some significant minutes while we deal with some early season injuries.  We hope to have Kyle Walczak, Michael Norman, and freshman Jonah Mohre back in about a week, but will probably have to wait a little longer before Bryan Whitmore and Mitchell Muise can take the field.

We return to action on Wednesday night at 7pm against Bethany College.

Bobcats add Twelve New Players

The 2013 FSU men's soccer team has the strange dynamic of being an old and young team all at the same time. 

Although the team has 14 returning seniors we also have 12 new players on this years team.  11 freshman and 1 returning player who sat out the 2012 season make up this years class.  Returning for his sophomore season after leaving school for a year is winger Joe Clarke. 

New to this years team are forwards: Jonah Mohre (Penn Fusion), Jason Weatherly (Freestate), Nabayee Tesfu (Real Maryland) and Derek Fuller (ASA).  In the midfield will be Jonathan Lippitt (FC Frederick) and Chris Herbert (FC Frederick) while seeing time in defense will be Andrew Klotz (MD Rush) and Anthony DePaz (Calverton).  There are also 3 freshman GK's competing for the starting spot: Hassan Mostafa (Pachuca), Jackson Bicknell (SAC) and Quinn Jenkins (FC Frederick).

While we should have a lot of veteran leadership on the team we still lack some game experience as only 4 of the returning seniors were starters.

2013 Alumni Game

The annual Alumni game was a good way for the boys to wrap up their pre-season friendlies. 

With good numbers on the bench and an energetic attitude the Alumni jumped out to a 1-0 lead.  Unfortunately fatigue began to set in after about 15 minutes and the abundance of substitutions were not enough to hold the current players back.  After falling behind 4-1 Alex Super and Ryan Russell helped close the gap for the Alumni to 4-3, but it was not enough as the boys put one more away for a 5-3 victory.

It was a great day for the team to make some connections with the former players and to build some bonds with the guys for the future.

Thank you to all the Alumni who made it up for the day.  It was great to see a few guys that were on my first team here at FSU that had not made it back in a while to the Burgh.  I cannot leave out my loyal regular Alumni who consistently show up and make sure the weekend is a great success! 

Deep Creek Open 2013

On a slightly overcast day in McHenry, MD the boys enjoyed a break from their daily pre-season activities.  After a 2 year hiatus the Deep Creek Open returned with a competitive nature as 4 teams were all within 7 strokes of each other.

Taking home the 2013 Deep Creek Open Championship was seniors; Brandon Rodgers, Chris Jones, Jason Bennett, and Jared Fohs.  They edged out the team of freshman; Andrew Klotz, Jason Weatherly, Derek Fuller, and senior Collin Sainz by 3 strokes.

All in all it was good day for the boys to get a break from training and have a little fun....

Rodgers, Fohs, Bennett, and Jones

Russell Grabs 2nd Straight Male Athlete of the Year Honors

The 2012 - 2013 Frostburg State Athletics Banquet was held Monday evening at the Bobcat Arena.  Team awards were given out to Ryan Russell, Chris Jones, Pablo Torrano, and Scott Wasser, while Russell and the men's soccer team were honored by the athletic department.

 Senior Ryan Russell was awarded with his second straight Male Athlete of the Year honor by the FSU athletics department.  Russell has had a remarkable career here at FSU.  In only two seasons of play for the Bobcats he will finish 10^th all-time in goals with 30, and points with 73.  He is the two-time CAC Player of the Year; he earned ECAC South Offensive Player of the Year this season, and was a NSCAA All-South Atlantic 1^st team selection this year.  Ryan led the CAC in goals and points the past two seasons and helped guide the men’s soccer team to two straight CAC semi-final and ECAC tournament appearances.  Ryan was also selected as the team offensive MVP.

 Junior Chris Jones was selected as the team’s defensive MVP.  He was the leader of a backline that only had one regular season loss and allowed 1.28 goals per game.  He also recorded 4 goals and 1 assist from his center back position.  Chris was awarded for his hard work as an All-CAC 1st team member and a NSCAA All-South Atlantic 3^rd team recipient.

 Pablo Torrano was selected as this year’s Bobcat award winner.  The Bobcat award goes to the individual that has the work rate and attitude that exemplifies what a true FSU soccer player is all about.  Pablo was third on the team in goals despite missing the middle of the season with a separated shoulder.  He fought hard to get back on the pitch and played a significant role in the conference playoffs.

 Scott Wasser is the 2012-13 recipient of the Gilbert Gray Memorial Award.  The Gilbert Gray award goes to the player who puts his team first and has the desire for excellence in his intellectual and physical self. 

 The men’s soccer team was also the winner of the Comeback Team Performance at the banquet with our 5-4 OT thriller against Bethany College.   Down 4-1 on the road at Bethany the men’s soccer team came back to win the game 5-4 in overtime.  Going into the game FSU was without 4 starters including leading goal scorer Ryan Russell.  After leading the game 1-0 just five minutes into the match FSU would go on to surrender 4 consecutive goals.  With just under 18 minutes to go in the game the Bobcats would go on a tear and score 3 goals in under 10 minutes to tie the match and would score the game winner just 2 minutes into overtime for the sudden death victory.

Ryan Russell, Scott Wasser, Chris Jones, and Pablo Torrano

 



FSU Men's Soccer Team at Banquet
 

Bobcat Stadium Construction - Phase II

Exciting news concerning the construction going on a Bobcat Stadium.  Phase II has begun and will hopefully be complete by the early fall.

Phase 1 began last summer with the destruction of the old bleachers.  The newest set of bleachers on the home side were moved to the away side to make for a more appealing visitors section.  The rest of the home bleachers were destroyed and a new set of bleachers were constructed.

Phase II which is currently in progress is the completion of the home bleachers, which will include an additional 8 rows and individual seating in the center of the stands directly below the press box.  The new press box will be equipped with a handicap accessible elevator, the Presidents box, and new sports communications suite and brand new team rooms.  The team rooms will be a great addition for pre-game and half-time talks.

Phase III which is still a few years away will be the re-configuring of the track and an expansion of the playing surface which will give us a wider field of play.

More Post Season Honors

Ryan Russell

Two FSU soccer players earned additional honors for the 2012 season.

Senior Ryan Russell was selected as the ECAC South Region Offensive Player of the Year and NSCAA All-South Atlantic First Team.

The senior forward capped his final season as a Bobcat leading the conference with 14 goals and 11 assists for 39 points. Russell led the team with five game winning goals. In his short 2 year career, Russell has tallied 30 goals and 13 assists, with 11 game winners.

Russell is the first ECAC South Region Player of the Year in program history and helped the team to a 12-3-4 overall record and a 3-1-2 slate in the CAC.  Complete ECAC South All Star Selections

Chris Jones

Junior Chris Jones was named as a NSCAA All-South Atlantic Region Third Team Honoree. 

Jones was selected to the third team after helping Frostburg post a 1.30 goals against average. The Bobcat defense posted five shutouts of their 12 victories during the season. Jones also contributed on the offensive end this year as he posted four goals and was fourth on the team in points.

Russell and Jones along with four players from York college were the only represnetatives from the Capital Athletic Conference on the NSCAA All Region team.

http://www.nscaa.com/news/2012/12/2012-ncaa-division-iii-men-all-south-atlantic-region