Scott Hess vs. Scranton 11/5/16
1
Winner Scranton SCR (14-3-1)
0
Elizabethtown ETOWN (13-3-2)
Winner
Scranton SCR
(14-3-1)
1
Final
0
Elizabethtown ETOWN
(13-3-2)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Scranton SCR 1 0 1
Elizabethtown ETOWN 0 0 0

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Men's soccer falls to Scranton in Landmark Championship rematch

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. -- The Elizabethtown College men's soccer team had a chance to exact some revenge on Scranton a year after the Royals defeated the Blue Jays at Ira R. Herr Field in the 2015 Landmark Championship. The two sides met on the same field for the same conference title Saturday night, but the result was the same as Scranton held on for a 1-0 win over E-town.

Gilbert Waso nearly put Elizabethtown (13-3-2) on the scoreboard first in the sixth minute, but his shot was saved by goalie Eric Hintz.

Scranton (14-3-1) made good on its first chance of the game in the 11th minute. Michael Bergen played in a corner from the right side. It sailed toward the back post, where Tim DiBisceglie headed it on goal. As the ball was goal-bound, it skimmed off the top of Conner Casey's head and into the back of the net to give the Royals a 1-0 lead. It was Casey's fourth of the season.

Bergen let a shot fly from about 25 yards out five minutes later that drilled the crossbar and bounced back into play.

A red card in the 30th minute assessed to E-town would play a role later in the game, but Elizabethtown was able to outplay Scranton the remainder of the first half and were inches away from tying things up.

Waso had a header on goal saved by Hintz. Not long after, JD Haaf had a chance, but Hintz again denied the Jays a goal. Scott Hess came closest in the 42nd minute, but his shot from a little outside the 18-yard box clanged off the outside of the left post.

Scranton led at the half, 1-0.

The Blue Jays came out on a mission to get things level, and once again, nearly did. Noah Andrews' header towards the far post off an E-town corner was cleared away by a Scranton defender before passing over the line.

Elizabethtown expended a lot of energy attempting its comeback, but were able to keep the Royals, who were a man up from the 30th minute on, at bay for the most part.

Ryan Sandell made a key save in the 78th minute on Casey, who had scored the earlier goal. Casey had gotten in on goal, but Sandell was able to deflect the 6-foot-4 forward's shot out of bounds and prevent the goal.

In the waning moments and the championship on the line, Hess came inches away again from getting E-town on the board. A ball came into the box and made its way to Hess, but his off-balance shot didn't have quite enough on it. The junior back's shot looked like it would find its way into the net, but Michael Donnelly slid across with his goalie out of position and made the game-saving clearance.

Scranton was able to keep the ball up on the Elizabethtown end and run out the clock to win the 2016 Landmark Conference championship and get the league's automatic qualifying bid.

The men's soccer team will await the NCAA Selection Show on Monday at 1 p.m. to see if its season will continue on.
 
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