Box Score YORK, Pa. – The York College men's soccer team settled for its fifth tie of the season on Saturday afternoon in a 0-0 draw on senior day with No. 15 Salisbury University.
One of the best scoring chances for York (6-6-5, 3-3-2 CAC) in the first half came in the 37th minute when a header by Brett LaBonte (Frederick, Md./Urbana) barely escaped the outer edge of the cross bar after he received a beautiful cross from Greg Bechard (Newark, Del./St. Mark's).
Salisbury (11-1-5, 5-1-2) had a prime scoring chance of its own in the first half. In the 44th minute, Dennis Runikera put a header shot on frame from just outside the six yard line, but sophomore goalkeeper Charlie Johnson (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) came up with the crucial save for the Green and White.
Both sides continued to struggle with putting together quality scoring chances in the second half as York fell short in stringing together passes in the attacking third and the Spartan backline came up with a few critical stops to keep the Sea Gulls at bay.
Two of the most critical stops the Spartans had towards the end of regulation came by senior captain Justin Kaiser (Bradenburg, Ky./Menchville (Va.)). The wily veteran snuffed out a Salisbury run with just under nine minutes remaining with a textbook slide tackle that broke up a 2-on-1 opportunity for the Gulls. Kaiser came up huge again with a critical stop in a 1-on-1 situation just inside the 18-yard line with approximately 23 seconds remaining in regulation.
The second stop by Kaiser set up a Salisbury corner kick and on that corner kick Bechard recorded a critical save on the end line following a backside header attempt by Salisbury's Benjamin Aryeetey.
The Spartan team saves continued into the overtime periods as Aryeetey was denied a goal once again. In the 92nd minute, Aryeetey fired a low shot from the left side of the box that slipped under the out-stretched body of Johnson and the ball trickled towards the goal. The shot seemed to be on its way to pay dirt when at the very last second freshman Ryan Ockford (Langhorne, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) flew in and in a sliding move cleared the ball off of the end line.
In the second overtime period, a Spartan defender prevented a Sea Gull goal for the third time. This time it was Kaiser who again came up with the big save. The Sea Gulls sent a shot into the box on a free kick from over 30 yards out. The ball deflected off a player in the box, then off the hands of Johnson, then off the head of Kaiser who leaped up to make the eventual save on the end line.
When all the dust settled and the excitement died down, both teams remained tied 0-0 at the end of two overtime periods.
Salisbury finished the contest out-shooting York 13-10, while the Spartans earned an 8-5 edge in corner kicks.
York produced seven total saves, four by Johnson and three by Bechard, Ockford and Kaiser.
Still in the hunt for a CAC playoff spot as this paradoxical regular season comes to a close, York closes out its regular season with a trip to St. Mary's (Md.) for a CAC contest starting at 3:30 p.m.
Senior photo courtesy of Joe Rodgers
