Box Score AMHERST, Mass. - Kellen Kasiguran (Oakwood Village, Ohio) netted the game's only goal in the 65th minute to lift Gordon College to a 1-0 NCAA First Round victory over Eastern Connecticut State University on Amherst's Hitchcock Field.Â
Winners of nine of their last 10, the Fighting Scots improved to 19-2-0 on the season, while the Warriors closed out the year with a 12-4-4 overall record. Gordon will face the winner of Amherst and Bridgewater State in second round action slated for 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17.
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With neither team able to generate any offense in the early going, Gordon won a free kick from a dangerous position in the 16th minute. Lining up the try 10 yards outside of the 18, Kasiguran sent a ball over the wall, but the shot veered wide right. Minutes later the Fighting Scots earned a corner that resulted in a Caleb Cole (Coatesville, Pa.) attempt, but the try sailed over the crossbar.
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Continuing to possess the ball in the attacking third, Gordon registered five shots over the final 15 minutes of the frame, but a stingy ECSU backline blocked down each attempt to keep the Fighting Scots off the board. Switching fields in the waning moments of the first, the Warriors won a corner that produced Eastern's first good scoring chance, but Nicholas Warren '17 footed the cross into the box wide right.
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Looking for the game's first marker, ECSU recorded a pair of shots shortly following the intermission. Getting a head on a corner kick, Eric Fiore '17 pushed an attempt wide left. Moments later, Luke Capezzone '14 put a hard shot on net from the right side of the box, but a Gordon defender got a piece of the try, making it an easy save for Fighting Scot goalkeeper Josh Spoonhour (Greencastle, Pa.).
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With just under 30 minutes remaining in regulation, the Warriors nearly pulled in front. Collecting a loose ball just outside of the 6-yard box, Warren rattled a shot off the crossbar. Mitch Power '14 gathered the rebound and tried to send it toward goal, but the shot was blocked down just inside the 18. Carrying the ball up the left side minutes later, Kasiguran played a cross into the box that found Cole, but the midfielder couldn't put a solid strike on the pass as ECSU goalie Greg Walton '17 came off his line to make a sliding save.
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Pushing forward in the 65th minute, Gordon finally broke through. Linking up with his teammate, Cole found Kasiguran with a centering pass just above the 18-yard box. Quickly looking to goal, the senior settled the pass before rifling a rising shot into the upper right corner of the net.
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Hoping for an equalizer, the Warriors accounted for seven of the game's next eight shots. Receiving the ball on the left side of the box in the 71st minute, Carl Stensland '14 fired a well-struck ball toward net, but the attempt went wide of the far post. Protecting its lead, Gordon controlled possession down the stretch, outshooting ECSU over the final 15 minutes to help seal the victory.
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The Fighting Scots finished with a 19-16 shot advantage, while the Warriors held a 10-4 edge in corners. Spoonhour finished with a pair of saves in the win, while Walton made four stops.
The Scots move on to play No. 4 Amherst, who defeated Bridgewater State 3-0 in the site's second game of the day. The Lord Jeffs have yet to lose a game during their 2013 season and received the top bid in the bracket after winning the NESCAC. The game between the Scots and Lord Jeffs will be played at 1 p.m. at Amherst's Hitchcock Field.
Release courtesy of Amherst Sports Information
