Box Score
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Two second half goals were all the
Susquehanna men's soccer team needed to grab its third
straight win and remain undefeated in conference action following a
2-0 shutout of Scranton on Saturday afternoon.
Junior Joey Stellato (Convent Station,
N.J./Morristown) and freshman Adam Matteo (Exton,
Pa./West Chester Henderson) teamed up to provide the
scoring for Susquehanna (7-3, 2-0) while the defense held Scranton
to nine shots, none of which got past goalie B.J. Merriam
(Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional). Merriam finished the
afternoon with four saves, three of which came in the second half,
to pick up his seventh win of the fall as well as the team's
fourth shutout.
Stellato led SU with three shots while Matteo and Shane
Atha (Chester, N.J./West Morris Mendham) added two apiece
to account for the only Crusaders with multiple shots in the game.
Atha also chipped in an assist, as did Andrew Murphy
(Natick, Mass./Natick).
Susquehanna held only a slim, 10-9 edge in overall shots but
unlike Scranton was able to make its scoring opportunities
count.
The first half featured just a combined three shots by both
teams. Scranton took the final two shots of the half, both within
the final 10 minutes, but Merriam came up with a save on one and
the second went wide to keep it knotted at zero at the midway
point.
Eleven minutes into the second-half action, Stellato and Atha
teamed up when Atha's pass from the left side found the foot
of Stellato. Stellato booted it past Royals goalie Brandon
Dombrowski for the 1-0 SU lead.
Seven minutes later, it was Matteo's turn to get in on the
action when he notched his second career goal on a Murphy assist
that made it 2-0 Susquehanna.
Atha nearly upped his squad's lead to 3-0, but his penalty
kick with 84:20 on the clock was saved by Dombrowski.
Merriam came up with a critical save on a shot by Nick Glavan
with four minutes to play to preserve the shutout.
Stellato now leads the team with four goals and five assists for
13 points in 10 starts.
Next match: Saturday, Oct. 9 at home vs. Goucher –
3:30 p.m.
