Oct. 15, 2003

Final Stats

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Stephen Keel's goal with 31 seconds to play in the game lifted the sixth-ranked Wake Forest men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory on a chilly Wednesday night at Spry Stadium over Long Island University.

The Demon Deacons led for almost 60 minutes and were outshooting the Blackbirds 19-2 before Long Island tied the game with just 2:36 remaining. LIU's Omer Rozen raced past the Wake Forest defense and under a long pass from the backline. Rozen was very close to being offside but the flag did not go up and he buried the goal.

The Deacons would not wait for overtime to determine the outcome. Adam Hakes set up Mark Ellington for a point blank shot in the penalty area. Ellington's shot was stopped but the rebound was left in front. Keel was in the right place at the right time to score the game-winning goal. The junior from Littleton, Colorado has a knack for netting decisive goals. Of his eight career scores, five have been of the game-winning variety.

Wake Forest scored first in the 28th minute on the first career goal by freshman Steven Curfman. Curfman, a starter this summer on the United States U-20 National Team this summer, took a perfect pass from Vicente Bastidas. Curfman fired a left-footed one-timer into the goal, tucking it inside the far post for a 1-0 lead.

The Deacons throughly controlled possession in the first half, outshooting the Blackbirds 10-0. Much of the game's final 20 minutes was played in the Wake Forest defense third but Long Island didn't get a shot in the direction of the Wake Forest goal until the 78th minute of the contest. In fact, the only Blackbird shot on goal was Rozen's game-tying tally. Wake Forest goalkeeper William Hesmer did not make a save in the game.

Kelvin Jones and Jeremiah White, two seniors and regular starters, did not play in Wednesday's contest.

The Deacons travel to Clemson on Sunday, October 19 at 2:00 p.m. at Riggs Field to take on the Tigers.

LIU	0	1	-	1
#6 WF	1	1	-	2

27:50	WF	Steven Curfman (1) (Vicente Bastidas)
87:24	LIU	Omer Rozen (3) (Jonas Stigh)
89:29	WF	Stephen Keel (2) (Mark Ellington)

Shots:	    WF 20, LIU 3
Saves:	    WF 0, LIU 4 (Gorski)
Corners:    WF 4, LIU 3
Fouls:	    WF 15, LIU 15
Cautions:   WF 2 (Lowery, 47:25; Caugherty, 84:27),
            LIU 3 (Ayoub, 44:13; Stigh, 65:11; Schofield, 67:16)
Offsides:   WF 2, LIU 4
Attendance: 411