Sept. 14, 2007

Final Stats

Durham, NH - Freshman Brendan Symington scored the only goal of the game with 14 seconds left in the second overtime to lift Vermont to a 1-0 win over Sacred Heart in the first round of the Nike Fall Soccer Classic Friday afternoon at UNH's Lewis Field.

The goal was the first of Symington's career and it ended a hard-fought game that featured many scoring chances as the two teams combined for 46 overall shots. The game-winner came on the counter attack just 40 seconds after Sacred Heart's Luke Gagliardi (North Branford, CT) shot high of the mark. Vermont won the ball after a long goal kick and Rem Kielman pushed it down the wide side of the field. Kielman's crossing pass found Symington near the top of the penalty area and his 18-yard blast beat Pioneers keeper Matt Jones (Stoke-on-Trent, England) high to the right side.

Sacred Heart out-shot the Catamounts, 24-22, for the game but the totals were even in the second half and both overtimes. Jones was busy in net for the Pioneers, finishing with 13 saves. Senior Raphael Rezende (Greenwich, CT) led SHU with three shots on goal while senior Brice Victor (Bridgeport, CT) and junior Jason Tessitore (Orange, CT) each registered a pair of chances.

Roger Scully, the 2006 Nike Fall Soccer Classic MVP, equaled his career-high with 11 stops for the Catamounts in recording his second shutout of the season.

The Pioneers close out the Nike Classic with a game against host New Hampshire Sunday at 3:00 pm.

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