Box Score
Men's Soccer Liberty League Championship Gallery
ROCHESTER, NY (November 5, 2011) -- The Vassar College men's soccer team won the Liberty League Championship for the first time in program history with a 3-2 win over Rochester Institute of Technology in the final on Saturday at RIT Field. The Brewers qualify for the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1999.
“This was our goal going into the season and this is why we work,” said head coach
Andy Jennings.
In a fast-paced first half, Vassar took the lead twice only to have RIT even the score each time. With the game tied at 2-2 and 5:56 remaining, junior captain
Zander Mrlik delivered the final goal to clinch the title. Senior
Ross Macklin sent a free kick into the box from 35-yards out. Mrlik found space behind the pile and popped a header just inside the post for his first goal of the season.
“Ross has the best set pieces. I was triple-teamed but I knew he was going back post so I went right for the goal and got lucky,” said Mrlik. “Ross played an incredible game and he's our MVP today.”
Vassar applied pressure early with a goal by
Juliano Pereira in the fifth minute to cap off an aggressive run of two long throw-ins and two corner kicks. Macklin sent the corner into the middle of the box,
Tom Wiechert headed it out of the crowd, and Pereira ripped a volley from eight-yards out into the top right shelf to put Vassar ahead 1-0.
RIT replied in the 28th minute with as Matt Broedel struck a volley into the corner on an assist by Jimmy Forbes following a long throw-in.
Vassar sophomore
Evan Seltzer gave the Brewers their second lead of the game in the 32nd minute with an acrobatic finish.
Dante Varotsis lobbed a pass to
Casey Rice who flicked it in the air across the box with one touch. Seltzer went airborne for a volley over the keeper to the far post.
The Tigers evened the score for the second and final time on a penalty kick by Dan Holowaty in the 39th minute. RIT's Jon Rosebrook drew the foul in the box.
The Brewers (11-5-3, 4-3-1 Liberty) await the NCAA selection show this weekend for their NCAA Championship matchup. The Tigers end the season with a 11-6-2 record.
On Wednesday, Vassar advanced to its first Liberty League Championship game on penalty kicks after a 0-0 tie against the top-ranked and previously unbeaten St. Lawrence University.
