ASHEVILLE, NC - The University of Maine at Fort Kent captured their first title in five years in dramatic fashion on Saturday evening in Asheville, North Carolina at the John B. Lewis Soccer Complex. After regulation and two overtime periods left the game deadlocked at 0-0, the Bengals of UMFK came back from an early deficit in penalty kicks to defeat Bryant & Stratton Syracuse 2-1.
With the win, the Bengals have won their first title since 2010, after having been downed by West Virginia University Institute of Technology in the 2013 and 2014 championship contests. The 2015 National Championship marks the Bengals second title in men’s soccer program history.
The Championship game was an aggressive defensive battle throughout. An early momentum shift came for the Bobcats of Bryant & Stratton College in the 33rd minute of the game as senior forward and USCAA All-American Willie Monthe received back to back yellow cards and was ejected from the contest. The University of Maine Fort Kent line stepped up big down a man, and both UMFK and Bryant & Stratton each had only one shot over the course of the next 20 minutes of the game. It was in the 53rd minute that the contest evened up, as Ojai Bedward received a red card, making the match 10 on 10. Despite four corner kicks and four shots, Maine Fort Kent was unable to capitalize late in the second, sending the game into overtime.
Both squads saw equal opportunity with corner kicks and shots in both periods of overtime play. The University of Maine at Fort Kent was the only team to have shots on goal in overtime, one of which was a forty yard strike from Stuart Conway that barely sailed over the crossbar. With no golden goal in the two overtime periods of play, the game and National Champion would be decided by penalty kicks.
The University of Maine Fort Kent lost the coin toss and drew first kick. To the line first for the Bengals was USCAA three-time All-American and two-time Player of the Year, Ben Kluvers. Kluvers struck hard, but his curling penalty sailed high of the right middle cross bar. Fernando Baptiste of Bryant & Stratton went to the penalty mark and swiftly struck the ball in the bottom right for an early 1-0 lead. Stuart Conway for Maine Fort Kent missed on the Bengals second try, giving All-American Erickson Alves the opportunity to put the Bobcats up by two. However, Butch Forbes delivered an amazing save to keep the spirits of the Bengals alive. Rodney Witter went to the line next and calmly scored, drawing the contest at one score a piece.
Sophomore goalkeeper Butch Forbes would go on to make saves on the next two shots from Bryant & Stratton, sending Stefan Petricevic to the line for the University of Maine Fort Kent for their fifth and final opportunity. Petricevic nailed a beautiful ball into the top right, putting UMFK up one and sending Lewis Lacy to the line for Bryant & Stratton with all the pressure. Lacy missed right, and the Bengals of University of Maine Fort Kent celebrated as National Champions again in 2015.
2015 USCAA Men’s Soccer All-Tournament
Tournament MVP: Senior, Goalkeeper, Maine-Fort Kent, Butch Forbes
|
Year
|
Position |
Institution |
Name |
|
|
Goalkeeper |
Berkeley College (NY) |
Masahiro Kiuchi |
|
Junior |
Striker |
Penn State Beaver |
Marcus Smith |
|
Sophomore |
Midfielder |
Florida College |
Michael Mazza |
|
|
Forward |
Berkeley College (NY) |
Hassan Sezer |
|
Freshman |
Forward |
Bryant & Stratton – Syracuse |
Dajhal Kelly |
|
Senior |
Defender |
University of Maine-Fort Kent |
Phillip Dionne |
|
Freshman |
Defender |
Bryant & Stratton – Syracuse |
Daniel Ntsin |
|
Freshman |
Midfielder |
University of Maine-Fort Kent |
Rodney Witten |
|
Senior |
Midfielder |
Bryant & Stratton - Syracuse |
Ericson Alves |
|
Junior |
Midfielder |
University of Maine-Fort Kent |
Ben Kluvers |
|
Senior |
Defender |
University of Maine-Fort Kent |
Ross Downie |