Monmouth University scored twice in the second half to defeat the Fairleigh Dickinson University men's soccer team in the first semifinal match-up of the 2009 Northeast Conference Tournament, hosted by top-seeded Monmouth in West Long Branch, NJ on a rainy and windy Friday morning.
The Knights, seeded fourth, finish the season 9-9-1, while the Hawks improve to 17-1-1.
Monmouth's first goal came right after the break, after the two teams battled for 45 scoreless minutes. Ryan Kinne started the play wide, finding the feet of George Caiella, who sent a cross to Cody Calafiore in the 49th minute. Calafiore headed in the ball just inside the post to put the Hawks on the board.
In the 88th minute, Caie
lla and Calafiore connected again for an insurance goal as Calafiore lost his defender and went one-on-one with FDU goalkeeper Majdi Zaineh (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) on the right side, firing into the bottom of the net.
Monmouth out-shot FDU, 16-9, and held a 7-2 edge in corner kicks.
Zaineh did an outstanding job between the posts for the Knights, making nine saves. Bryan Meredith earned the win in goal for the Hawks, making three saves.
"I'm very proud of these guys and the way we competed today," said Head Coach Seth Roland. "We just didn't do quite enough to win against a good Monmouth team. I think the guys coming back to qualify for the playoffs is tremendous. We can hold our heads high."
The Knights are the defending tournament champions, as they won the tournament in 2008 as a No. 2 seed to earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Freshman Dominic Reinold (Wesseling, Germany/Gesamtschule Rodenkirchen), the NEC Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Conference selection, finishes the season as the team and league leader in points with 28 (12 goals, 4 assists). Fellow First Team honoree Paul King (New Castle, England/Monkseaton), a sophomore, is second on the team with 16 points.
Monmouth will play the winner of the second semifinal match, #3 Quinnipiac, who defeated #2 St. Francis NY in penalty kicks in the championship game. The All-Tournament Team will be announced after the championship game on Sunday.
