Endicott Advances On 3-2 Penalty Kick Advantage Over Lasell

BEVERLY, Mass.-  The #6 seed Endicott College Gulls played host to the #3 seed Lasell College Lasers in the ECAC DIII New England quarterfinals on Thursday evening and advanced in a penalty kick thriller.  With Wednesday's snow having given way to rain and severe winds while maintaining the cold temperatures, both teams knew they would be in for a battle and surely did not disappoint.

Lasell controlled the pace in the opening minutes as they were able to receive back to back corners in the second minute.  The Gulls were able to thwart both corners and wound up gaining control back as they put together the first quality scoring chance of the match.  Freshman Zach Rizzo (Redding, Conn.) played a cross from right to left that found the head of Kyle Bisceglia (New Boston, N.H.) in the box.  Bisceglia's header was turned away by keeper Miguel Colmenares (Caracas, Venezuela) to keep the score knotted at 0-0. 

The next viable scoring chance would be for the visitors as Nery Guerra (Guatemala City, Guatemala) would put a shot on frame from 20 yards out.  With the conditions being as windy and wet as they were, Guerra's shot took an awkward bounce that keeper Daniel Higgins (South Kingstown, R.I.) bobbled before securing the ball. 

The game would get chippy as both teams were playing with great passion from the first whistle.  With multiple fouls going both ways, the play was mainly contained to the middle of the field and the wings for the majority of the half.  The Lasers finally got it in front of the Endicott goal as Lasell's leading scorer Mike Skelton (Conway, N.H.) was able to snap a shot on the low post but Higgins was able to cover it up. 

The start of the second half was announced by a long free kick taken by defenseman Jed Magnusson (Kingston, N.H.) from 40 yards out that skipped off a Lasell defender's head and had to be played by a leaping Colmenares to preserve the tie.  Endicott didn't waste any time offensively as Connor Gibbs (Westborough, Mass.) notched a pair of quality chances.  Gibbs' first chance came in the third minute of the second half that was shot low towards the center of the net.  Colmenares made a diving stop and served up a rebound that was cleared by the Lasell backline.  Four minutes later Gibbs blasted a shot on net from 25 yards out that went to the low right post.  Colmenares was again tested and proved to ready as he made an athletic move diving to his left to save the shot.  The ball ricocheted off of him and went out for an Endicott corner.  Rizzo's cross into the box was immediately pushed out of bounds by a strong gust of wind. 

Jared Lewis (Haverhill, Mass.) blasted the hardest shot of the night on frame as he took deflected ball on the left hand side of the box and rocketed the ball towards new Endicott keeper Austin Peluso (Farmington, Conn.).  Peluso was able to deflect the shot and clear the rebound to calm the defense down.  Endicott countered immediately as Jordan Daniel took in a feed in the box, settled, turned and fired the shot to the lower left post across the frame.  The ball went past an outstretched Colmenares and slid by the post to keep an exciting affair scoreless. 

Mike Skelton had a great chance in the 36^th minute as the ball found his feet in the corner of the box.  Skelton was able to one time it towards net only to have it get deflected over the cross bar by the Endicott defense.  Skelton was again active in the 41^st minute as he was able to weave through the Endicott defense and take a shot with his left foot that floated over the frame. 

Jordan Daniel again led the Endicott counter as he raced after a long outlet and fired on net with the wind at his back.  His shot had too much behind it and too much air underneath it as it drifted wide of the net.  Abdullah Al Khalifa (Riffa, Bahrain) was able to win a free kick from 45 yards out with 1:07 left on the clock after a Lasell foul.  Al Khalifa lofted a perfect ball into the box that fell just long for Connor Lyons (Waterbury, Vt.). 

At the start of overtime, Jared Lewis was able to take a feed down the left hand wing and one time it on goal.  The ball was lifted just high and glanced off the football uprights out of bounds.  Quick to counter again were the Gulls as Jordan Daniel found himself one on one with the Lasell keeper and tried to go top corner but again put too much under it and the ball flew harmlessly out of bounds four minutes into the first overtime period. 

With just one minute left in the first overtime period, Isaac Soares (Somerset, Mass.) took a feed off of a free kick that glanced off the cross bar and out of bounds for an Endicott goal kick.  That opportunity would be the last true chance of the first overtime period.

The second overtime saw the Gulls get out on a breakaway two minutes in that saw Daniel again shoot high and wide. Lasell countered quickly again as Soares found himself out wide on the right wing as he put the shot on net forcing Peluso to push the shot wide of his net.  With three minutes left Peluso was forced to make a highlight save as Lewis slipped behind the Endicott defense and launched a shot to the lower right corner.  Peluso dove to his left and was able to coral the ball on his fingertips to preserve the tie and force a shootout. 

Lasell started the shootout by having their goalie Colmenares take the first attempt.  Peluso made a diving stop to save the shot.  Jordan Daniel then buried his attempt to give the Gulls the 1-0 advantage in kicks.  Soares was able knock his home to even it up and Al Khalifa had his saved to make it a 1-1 tie.  Lasell's Skelton and Endicott's Gnecco each hit their shots to make it 2-2 after three rounds.  Lasell missed the fourth attempt as Rizzo buried his opportunity to give Endicott the 3-2 advantage after four rounds.  Peluso then made another highlight save to help Endicott advance 3-2 on penalty kicks. 

Endicott advances to take on Coast Guard on Saturday at 3 p.m.  The game will be held at Roger Williams University.