Box Score

Box Score

THROGGS NECK, N.Y. (Nov. 6, 2010) – The Maritime men's soccer team captured the 2010 Skyline Conference Championship with a 3-1 victory over Old Westbury Saturday afternoon in the Finals. With the victory, the Privateers become the first team in Maritime Athletics history to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

“I'm so proud of the guys. We worked so hard this season to achieve this goal,” said head coach Andrew McCarthy. “Our effort put forth in today's game was the difference maker. I want to thank the students, parents and administration for their support this year to help build a championship program.”

Maritime rallied back from a one-goal halftime deficit to score three goals in the second half of the game and grab the Skyline's automatic qualifying bid to the national tournament. The win improves the Privateers' record to 13-8-1 overall, while the Panthers claim the runner-up trophy and end the season with a 14-9 record.

After level play in the beginning of the game, Old Westbury controlled most of the action late in the first half. In the 22nd minute, a Panthers player was brought down in the 18-yd box and the play was whistled dead for a penalty kick. Senior goalkeeper Harris Papson (Flushing, N.Y./Francis Lewis) (Flushing, N.Y./Francis Lewis) read the shot right and made a huge early save to keep the game scoreless. The Privateers allowed a goal in the 40th minute, however, by the Panthers' Joseph Zorbo, who took a cross from the far side while wide-open and buried it in for the first tally.

The second half saw Old Westbury playing strong early, but Maritime quickly took advantage of two fouls in a row by the Panthers. After the second foul in the 64th minute, junior John Blunden (Arlington, Va./Washington) quickly rifled a shot from 30 yards out into the top left corner of the net to tie the game at 1-1.

With a possible second straight overtime game just minutes away, the Privateers broke the tie in the 84th minute when, after another foul down low, junior Jason Tursi (Farmingdale, N.Y./Plainedge) (Farmingdale, N.Y./Plainedge) fired in a cross off the free kick that classmate Kevin Connolly (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) headed right into the low right corner of the net. Junior Tom Federico (Islip, N.Y./Islip) (Islip, N.Y./Islip) sealed the victory with an insurance goal in the 88th minute.

With five big saves to keep Maritime from falling behind even further, Harris Papson (Flushing, N.Y./Francis Lewis) was named the MVP of the Skyline Tournament.

The Maritime men's soccer team will find out its first round opponent in the NCAA Tournament on Monday, when the field of 64 teams is announced at 2 p.m. on the NCAA website at NCAA.com.