GENESEO, NY: The SUNY Geneseo men's soccer team punched its ticket to the Empire 8 semifinals with a commanding 2-0 victory over Houghton in the quarterfinals this afternoon. The Knights extended their win streak to eight games, improving to 10-2 in conference play and 13-4-1 overall as they continue their postseason push.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
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The opening half featured a hard-fought battle, with both teams looking for the breakthrough. Max Crothall stood tall between the posts, turning away three consecutive Houghton attempts to keep the Highlanders off the board and send the teams into halftime deadlocked.
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The Knights finally cracked the scoreboard in the second half with a well-executed set piece. After Michael Ruggiero drew a foul, Eric Carnes delivered a dangerous free kick into the box. Ferenc Bagi connected with Dwight Valladares, who rose above the defense and headed home his first career goal to put Geneseo on top, 1-0.
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Geneseo struck again to double its advantage. Owen Burke put a shot on target, and Amir Bonseu was in the right place to collect the rebound and chip it over the goalkeeper for the insurance goal. With the defense continuing to shut down Houghton's attack, the Knights closed out the 2-0 win and secured their place in the semifinals.
QUICK FACTS:
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Dwight Valladares and Amir Bonseu each found the back of the net to power the Knights' quarterfinal victory.
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Max Crothall turned aside four shots, earning his 13th win and sixth shutout of the season.
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Eric Carnes assisted on both goals, bringing his season total to six assists.
WHAT'S NEXT:
The Knights will take the pitch at home on Wednesday, Nov. 4, for the Empire 8 semifinals against Brockport. More details to come.
