Box Score
Photo gallery (courtesy of Emma Black)
The University of Scranton men's soccer team needed a win and some help in another match on Saturday to earn a Landmark Conference playoff berth. The Royals got the help they needed, but could not find the back of the net and settled for a 0-0 draw in double overtime against Elizabethtown on Senior Day at Fitzpatrick Field.
The Royals (9-6-3, 3-3-2 Landmark) finished with 11 points in conference play, tied with Goucher and Elizabethtown for the final spot. Goucher won the tiebreaker by virtue of a 1-0-1 record against the other two; Elizabethtown was was 0-0-2 and Scranton was 0-1-1.
Scranton had a few scoring opportunities, including one right before the final horn, but could not break through. Elizabethtown (7-5-3, 3-3-2 Landmark) had chances of its own, including a pair of headers that hit the crossbar just seconds apart in the second half.
Sophomore goalkeeper Eric Hintz (South Windsor, Conn./South Windsor) made four saves for the Royals, earning his eighth shutout of the season and 13th of his career.
The Blue Jays finished with a 16-8 edge in shots, bolstered by a 14-5 advantage after halftime. Senior forward Kevin Kozic (Raritan, N.J./Immaculata) and freshman midfielder Gavin Coutts (Mendham, N.J./West Morris Mendham) had two shots apiece for Scranton.
Prior to the match, the Royals honored their three seniors – Kozic, midfielder Rich Loeffler (Matawan, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) and midfielder Tom O'Connor (Great River, N.Y./St. John the Baptist). The trio helped Scranton post a four-year record of 42-20-12, including a 17-3-2 record and an appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals in 2012.
Scranton finished with a winning record for the third straight season and seventh time in the past nine seasons. The Royals also earned the 500th win in program history earlier this season when they posted a 1-0 win at Susquehanna on Saturday, Sept. 27.
--ROYALS--
