Men's Soccer Suffers 2-1 Double Overtime Defeat to Purchase in Skyline Final

Purchase, N.Y. - St. Joseph's (10-13) men's soccer team fell to Purchase (10-9-1) in double overtime this afternoon in the Skyline Conference Tournament Championship game, 2-1.  The No. 5 seed Golden Eagles, appearing in their third championship game in four years, could not muster the game-winning goal against the No. 6 seed Panthers despite 26 total shots in 106-plus minutes of play at the Skyline Fall Festival hosted by Purchase.

The Golden Eagles finish out the year with a 10-13 record and had posted a 5-4 record in Skyline Conference regular season play.  SJC got to the Skyline Final via two wins over No. 4 seed Mt. St. Vincent, in the quarterfinals, and top-seed Mt. St. Mary, in the semifinal round.

The match was scoreless through the entire first half and remained that way until early in the second, despite scoring chances by both squads.  Purchase finally broke the ice when Junior Sanguina scored off a cross by Andres Romero at 50:07.

The Golden Eagles were quick to strike back at 53:19 as senior Chris Hall shot a ball from six yards out into the bottom left corner of the goal.  Hall's sixth goal of the year, and third of the Skyline Tournament, was assisted by junior Justin Heredia.

The score remained tied as regulation ended, and again through the first ten-minute overtime.  With it looking like a penalty kick shootout may be at hand to determine a victor, the tide turned at 106:23 as Purchase's Junior Sanguina connected for his second goal of the day when he chipped the ball over the head of SJC's sophomore keeper Avery Gomez.  The tally was assisted by Eli Wilson-Berkowitz.

Avery Gomez saved 11 shots for the Golden Eagles in the game, while Esteban Aguilar corralled seven for the home team.

Junior Alex Guadagno totaled a team-high six shots for SJC, while Chris Hall and junior Andrew Stasiewicz had four each.  Both Sanguina and Romero took six shots for the Panthers.

SJC outshot Purchase, 26-25, and led in shots on goal, 13-8.  Purchase held a slim edge in corner kicks, 8-6.

Purchase, the 2014 Skyline Champions, earned their first Skyline title and the Conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament, which begins next weekend.