BROOKLYN, N.Y. - In what proved to be one of the most dramatic games in recent LIU Brooklyn men's soccer history, the Blackbirds advanced to the 2015 Northeast Conference championship match, besting No. 4 seed St. Francis Brooklyn in penalty kicks Friday evening at LIU Field.
After redshirt junior
Logan Keys made two crucial saves in the shootout, senior
Raffi Gregorian came through in the clutch, making the final penalty kick to help the Blackbirds advance to their first NEC championship game since the 2004 season.
LIU had to fight back against St. Francis Brooklyn, who scored a goal in the sixth minute off a scrum in the box to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. In the 14th minute, freshman
Simen Hestnes received the ball off of a free kick from redshirt sophomore
Naeem Charles, allowing Hestnes the first scoring opportunity for the Blackbirds, but his header shot went wide of the goal.
Charles took another free kick for LIU just outside the box, this time curling it inside the left post to knot the match at 1-1 in the 20
th minute. The score remained 1-1 throughout a very physical first half.
In the 57
th minute of play, St. Francis Brooklyn's John Makyaya took a shot from 10 yards, but could not get it passed Keys, who dove and blocked Makaya's attempt. Later in the period, the Terriers dribbled down the field and broke through LIU's back line, leaving Malaya one-on-one against Keys. Once again, Keys made an impressive save protecting the cage for the Blackbirds. A scoreless second half pushed the semifinal match into overtime at 1-1.
Redshirt freshman
Romario Guscott connected a pass to
Rasmus Hansen in the 94
th minute. The NEC Rookie of the Year took a shot from 20 yards that missed just wide of the goal. LIU received a red card in the 95
th minute, playing with only 10 on the field over the last 15 minutes of the game. Hansen created two other scoring opportunities for LIU in the 102
nd and 110
th minutes, both from 25 yards, but neither found the back of the net, forcing a penalty kick decision.
In the shootout, Keys came up with the first save in the first round before a miss by the Blackbirds evened things up after the second round. The third and fourth rounds saw each team make their opportunities, setting the stage for the thrilling conclusion.
UP NEXTTop-seeded LIU Brooklyn squares off on Sunday, Nov. 15 against the second-seeded Red Flash at noon to determine the 2015 NEC Tournament champion.