Men's soccer drop season finale to Campbell, 2-1
Dolphins fall short of earning A-Sun Tournament bid
BUIES CREEK, N.C. Oct. 31, 2009 The Dolphins' bid to the Atlantic Sun Tournament fell short as Campbell scored twice in the first nine minutes to down the JU men's soccer team, 2-1, on Saturday night at Eakes Complex in Buies Creek, N.C.
With the victory, the Camels (8-8-1, 7-1-1 A-Sun) claim the regular season title for the second straight year and lock up the No. 1 seed for the A-Sun Tournament. Vince Petrasso had a goal and an assist to pace the Camels, while goalie Ted Awana finished with a match-high four saves to help secure the win.
The Dolphins (5-11-1, 3-6) got a late goal from senior defender Eddie Munnelly, but couldn't inch any closer. JU outshot Campbell, 8-3, in the second half and finished with a 13-8 shot advantage. Senior goalie Joey Sanchez (2-9-1) made one save in his final match with the Dolphins.
"This was a tough luck year for us," said JU head coach Mike Johnson. "We played well tonight, but fell short of winning. I'm really proud of the way our guys played down the stretch and it's disappointing that we will not be able to see how it translates in conference tournament play. Overall, I'm thankful for all the hard work the team put in this season. Our team plans to get back at it soon so we can start working to have a better season in 2010."
The Camels got a quick 1-0 lead in the seventh minute of the match as Vince Petrasso slipped the ball past Sanchez on passes from Justin Madrid and Pat Danford.
Less than three minutes later, Petrasso flicked a corner kick service from Mitchell Cardenas to Keegan Terry who headed the pass in the net to double Campbell's lead.
The Dolphins had a chance to get on the board in the 11th minute when junior forward Nedim Hrustic had a shot at the top of the box, but it slid wide of the post.
In the second half, the Dolphins cut the lead to a goal in the 53rd minute as Munnelly stole a pass and scored on a long shot that deflected off the hands of Awana.
JU had six more chances to tie the match, but the Camels keep them off the board to secure the victory.
The Dolphins ended the season falling in six of their final eight matches. JU suffered eight one-goal losses in 2009, despite outshooting their opponents by more than 60 shots (270-210) during the season.
Senior midfielder Stefan Runeman finished with a career-best six goals for a team-high 13 points, while senior midfielder Jonathan Jackson lead the squad with five assists to close out his career.