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Niagara University Athletics

Karimi
1
St. Bonaventure SBUM (3-3-2)
1
Niagara NIAM (1-6-1)
St. Bonaventure SBUM
(3-3-2)
1
Final
1
Niagara NIAM
(1-6-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 OT 2 F
St. Bonaventure SBUM 1 0 0 0 1
Niagara NIAM 0 1 0 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

High-Flying Home Opener Ends In 1-1 Draw For Men's Soccer

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – After opening the 2017 season with seven road games, the Niagara men's soccer team made its debut at Niagara Field on Wednesday night against local rival St. Bonaventure. Niagara fell behind 1-0 in the first half, but Zulfikar Karimi rifled home the tying goal in the 63rd minute after a blocked free kick attempt from Bautista Pedezert. Both teams had plenty of chances to pull ahead for a victory, but the full 110 minutes ended with the Purple Eagles and Bonnies tied 1-1.
 
Game Summary
  • Final Score: St. Bonaventure 1, Niagara 1 (2OT)
  • Niagara Goals: Zulfikar Karimi
  • Niagara Assists: n/a
  • In Goal: Steve Casey (0-3-1) – 1 GA, 6 SV
  • Records: Niagara – 1-6-1; St. Bonaventure – 3-3-2
  • Location: Niagara Field – Niagara University, NY
  • Attendance: 287
 
Game Recap
  • Goalkeeper Steve Casey was tested early by the Bonnies, making a pair of denials in the opening 12 minutes to keep the game scoreless, including a save against a header from St. Bonaventure's Kieran Toland.
  • Niagara's best chance of the first half came in the 23rd minute, as Borna Juracic caught the Bonnies' keeper out of position and directed a header on the wide-open goal, only to have the chance turned away by a St. Bonaventure defender.
  • St. Bonaventure took the 1-0 lead in the 38th minute as Toland lined up a free kick from 20 yards out and beat Casey wide to the right side for the early advantage.
  • Early in the second half, Niagara found its way on to the score sheet, tying the game at one. The Purple Eagles lined up a free kick from about 35 yards out, with Bautista Pedezert taking the initial attempt that was blocked by a Bonnie. The loose ball came to Karimi, whose long shot along the ground found its way through traffic and past Bonnies goalkeeper Luke Iacobellis.
  • Owen Carter nearly gave Niagara the lead in the 80th minute as Luca Pacheco fed a cross through the box to the far post, but Carter's redirection sailed narrowly wide of the goal.
  • With the game tied in the closing minutes of regulation time, Casey had to make a leaping save on a long shot from St. Bonaventure's Remi Dujardin in the 87th minute to force overtime.
  • The best chance of overtime came from Niagara's Luca Pacheco, who rose up for a bicycle kick in the 95th minute. His shot lined up right to the top of the St. Bonaventure goal, but Iacobellis narrowly tipped it high and away.
  • In the extra 20 minutes, both teams logged three shots and put one on goal, but neither team found the back of the net, ending the game in a 1-1 draw.
 
Coach's Corner
  • Head coach Bill Boyle: "We're trying to find progress, and now our guys are doing what they need to do to be successful. The work ethic tonight was outstanding from everyone on the field. We started getting the offensive chances that we have been looking for all season, and now we need to learn how to start converting those opportunities."
 
Inside the Numbers
  • Zulfikar Karimi moved into the lead for scoring on the Purple Eagles for the 2017 season, as he now has five points on two goals and one assist.
  • Karimi also led Niagara on the night in shots (five) and shots on goal (two).
  • Steve Casey added six saves while allowing the lone goal in the tie. The redshirt-junior now has 14 saves in his last two appearances after turning away eight shots at James Madison on Sept. 15.
  • Niagara set a season-high with 20 shots in the draw, easily the team's highest total of the season. The Purple Eagles' previous high this year for shots in a game was 11 at Belmont on Aug. 27.
  • The nine corner kicks for Niagara in Wednesday's match were the most for the team in a game this season, while St. Bonaventure had seven.
 
Up Next
  • With a 1-6-1 record in non-conference play, Niagara now turns its attention to the MAAC. The Purple Eagles open conference play on home field with a matchup against the Quinnipiac Bobcats at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30.
 
Stay connected with the Purple Eagles through social media. Follow Niagara Athletics on Twitter @NUPurpleEagles and for men's soccer updates, follow Niagara men's soccer at @NiagaraSoccer. Check in with the Purple Eagles on Facebook.com/PurpleEagles and on Instagram @NUPurpleEagles.
 
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