Men's Soccer 10/24/2015 9:54:00 PM Holy Cross Athletics

Men?s Soccer Picks Up A 1-0 Victory Over Lafayette

THE BASICS:

Score: Holy Cross 1, Lafayette 0

Records: Holy Cross (5-6-4, 2-2-2 Patriot League); Lafayette (5-5-5, 2-3-1 Patriot League)

Location: Worcester, Mass. (Linda Johnson Smith Soccer Stadium)

Date: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015

Time: 7:05 p.m.

The Lead: Sophomore Arno Rupp (Wolfsberg, Austria) scored the game-winner for the Crusaders as the Holy Cross men's soccer team defeated Lafayette, 1-0, in Patriot League action on Saturday evening. Tonight, the Crusaders celebrated the 50th anniversary of the men's soccer program.

THE GOAL:

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The action kicked off in the third minute, as Holy Cross junior Matt Villano (Basking Ridge, N.J.) took the first shot of the game on a loose ball in the box, but his shot was blocked out of bounds, allowing the Crusaders to earn the first corner of the night.
In the 10th minute, Villano fired another shot inside the box, deflecting off a defender, and missing the net by inches.
In the 13th minute, sophomore Nicholas Cestaro (Massapequa, N.Y.) ripped a shot from the top of the 18-yard box that went wide.
In the 16th minute, Lafayette posted their first shot on target. Ryan Egan took a 22-yard shot that was saved by senior captain Kevin Wright (McKinney, Texas).
Egan had a scoring opportunity on a breakaway in the 33rd minute, but his shot was chipped wide as Wright came off his line for the challenge.
The score remained 0-0 at the half with the Crusaders leading 3-1 in shots on net.
Rupp took the first shot of the second half for the Crusaders in the 46th minute, which was saved by Lafayette goalkeeper Brian Ehrlich.
Lafayette had a shot in the 52nd minute by Eric West, but it was blocked by sophomore Brad Ross (Nashville, Tenn.) at the top of the 18-yard box.
Wright prevented a goal in the 59th minute, stopping the ball with his foot from an 8-yard rip from Todd Forrester
Cestaro nearly scored a header in the box off a long throw in that Ehrlich tipped over the cross bar in the 69th minute.
Next, in the 70th minute (70:57), Rupp scored the game-winner, flicking a 6-yard header into the bottom right side netting of the goal off a corner taken by sophomore Yuji Callahan (Okinawa, Japan).
The Crusaders kept Lafayette off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game to earn a 1-0 victory.

KOOLMAN ON THE GAME:

“Our competitive spirit was exceptional tonight,” said Holy Cross head coach Marco Koolman. “It was great to get a win on the celebration of our 50th anniversary here in front of a lot of alumni. We had a good corner and we scored on a set piece after spending much time practicing them.”

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

Holy Cross outshot Lafayette 17-9. The Crusaders had eight shots on goal, as Lafayette trailed with three.
Wright had three saves, while Ehrlich had seven.
Holy Cross had six corners and Lafayette had four.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

Rupp scored his first goal of the season. Additionally, he earned his first career game-winner. In terms of his career, Rupp has four goals and five assists, adding up to 13 points.
Leading the team in assists, Callahan picked up his fifth assist of the season. His five assists are tied for eighth for a season in the program's history. He also leads the team in points with 11 this season. Callahan has four goals and five assists on his career, amounting to 13 points.
Wright picked up his fourth shutout of the season and his 12th of his career.

UP NEXT:

The Crusaders will travel to Boston to face Patriot League leader Boston University at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

MEN'S SOCCER CELEBRATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY:

Holy Cross celebrated the 50th anniversary of the men's soccer program on Saturday.
The men's soccer alumni game took place from 4:00-5:00 p.m. at the Linda Johnson Smith Soccer Stadium, followed by a BBQ before the varsity match.
On Sunday, Oct. 25, there will be an additional tailgate from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the practice fields before the women's game versus American. For more information, go here.

LUKE DUNIVANT AWARD:

At halftime, the Luke Dunivant Award was presented to senior Eddie Gibbons (Bellport, N.Y.). Luke's parents, Chris and Bob presented the award to Gibbons.
The award was established in memory of former Holy Cross men's soccer player Luke Dunivant, Class of 1997, who passed away in 2008 after a courageous battle with leukemia. The award is presented annually to a member of the men's soccer team who, like Luke, has inspired others by displaying outstanding courage, commitment to the team and sportsmanship during his career. Past winners of the Luke Dunivant Award are Peter Whooley (2009), Tom Van Grinsven (2010), Jordan Michael (2011), Pat McCann (2012), Monty Sanders (2013) and Michael Thompson (2014).

KEEP CONNECTED:

There are numerous ways to stay connected with the Holy Cross men's soccer team. Follow the Crusaders on Twitter @HCrossMSoccer, on Facebook and on Instagram. You can also get the latest news and results on the team sent directly to your e-mail. To sign up for e-mail alerts go here.

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