December 3, 2009. Tampa, FL. - The Fort Lewis College Soccer Team (#1) will be advancing to the 2009 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship Match after defeating #6 La Moyne College in the semifinals game in Tampa, FL, 8-2. The Skyhawks will be taking on the winner of Lewis University and Lees-McRae who play directly following the Fort Lewis – La Moyne match.
This will be the fourth appearance in the Championship match for the FLC Men's Soccer team.
In the first half the Skyhawks learned what it was like to play from behind when Angelo Reina from La Moyne in the 16th minute found himself with a one on one with keeper Zane Wells after Jamie Cunningham and Fabian Kling both attempted to clear the ball but both kicked it, which resulted in the ball bouncing off the two defenders to Reina, who fired a low shot to bottom right corner of the net for the 1-0 Dolphins lead.
Fort Lewis would quickly gain their composure and retaliate six minutes later when Sam Morris was rewarded with a corner kick. Morris sailed the ball into the front of the box where Kling popped the ball off his head behind him where Euan Purcell was waiting and volleyed the ball off the header into the back of the net for the equalizer goal 1-1.
After the goal, the Skyhawks appeared to regain control of the game and their confidence and pt in yet another goal in the 37th minute. A foul would set Tom Settle up with a direct kick on the end line which he sent into the box where it found David Barden who headed it in across the goal into the back right side of the net which send the Skyhawks into the break with the 2-1 lead.
Fort Lewis would record 10 shots in the first half, 4 being on goal. The Dolphins also put up 4 shots on goal. Wells tallied 3 amazing saves in the first half to Jacques' one save.
The second half belonged to the Hawks' coming up with an unanswered six goals, three of them coming within three minutes of each other.
Barden would start the scoring spree off in the 46th minute when Jeff Jennings fired a shot from outside of the box and Barden who was inside the box deflected the ball off his chest and past the keeper for the 3-1 lead. Three minutes later, Barden would find Euan Purcell in the box who was able to knock it in for the 4-1 lead. Only thirty seconds past before Kyle Wood sent a beautiful ball into the box where Barden volleyed the pass into the net for their 5th goal.
The Dolphins would strike back when Kuzemka found Reina in the box again for his second goal of the game but that would be the last goal La Moyne would have. In the 79th minute, Settle dribbled the ball to the top of the box and rocketed a left footed shot that flew past the keeper before he knew what had happened, this goal gave the Hawks' a 6-2 advantage. Joe Barnd would finish the scoring off for Fort Lewis as he scored back to back goals in the 80th minute and 83rd minute. One off a perfect assist from Byron Cephers and another coming from Settle, which put Barnd in a one on one with the keeper, ending the scoring frenzy and semifinal game at 8-2.
Fort Lewis outshot La Moyne 19-9 with a 10-6 shots on goal advantage. Barden led the Skyhawks with a hat trick after coming off of a foot injury just this week. Tom Settle had an impressive 3 assists and one goal in the match, Joe Barnd and Euan Purcell both added two goals on the day.
The Skyhawks will play the winner of Lees-McRae (17-2-1) and Lewis (15-3-2) on Saturday at 4:00 pm (ET). The game will be aired on television at CBS College Sports.
