CANTON, NY -- The Hamilton men's soccer team overcame a one-goal deficit and to defeat Union College 2-1 at St. Lawrence University Friday afternoon for a spot in the Liberty League championship game Saturday. The Continentals lost earlier in the season to the Dutchmen 1-0 in overtime.
Union (11-3-4) played a man down after
Kevin Donovan (Hanover, MA) received a red card with 60:39 remaining in the game. Despite this, Union played a strong defensive game against Hamilton and were able to maintain possession of the ball evenly with the Continentals and scored the first goal on the game.
Tripp Pietrak (Amherst, NY) scored off a combination pass on top of the box from
Dane Mellon (Clifton Park, NY), who put it past Hamilton's Anthony Carello. Pietrak's 13th goal of the season put the Dutchmen on the board 1-0 early in the second half.
From that point on, Hamilton was consistently pouring on the pressure and scored in the 68
th minute off a cross from the left side to the back post near Union netminder
Rob Kramer (Westport, CT). The ball was headed back to the middle, where Marcus Dormanen scored his first goal of the season off a header that slipped past Kramer to even the score at 1-1 a piece. Paul Moakler had the assist.
With only 6:30 remaining on the game the Continentals' John Marchessault got the ball off a restart from Topher Breedlove right outside the 18 and was driven to the middle of the box, where Marchessault powered it past Kramer for the game-winning goal. It was Marchessault's first goal of the season.
The Continentals, now 8-4-3, will face St. Lawrence University (9-2-6), the number one seed in the tournament, tomorrow for the Liberty League Championship title. Hamilton beat the Saints last time they met on the Saints' home turf 2-1 in overtime. The game is set to begin at 12 p.m. on Sandy MacAllaster Field.
