George Washington University
XAVIER
Rookies Lead Men's Soccer Past Xavier
10/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 22, 2006
WASHINGTON, DC - A pair of rookies stole the show on Senior Day as the George Washington men's soccer team picked up a pivotal Atlantic 10 Conference victory, 2-1, over Xavier at Mount Vernon Field on Sunday.
GW (5-7-3, 2-3-2 A-10) seniors Jeremiah Burke and Joseph Siegel were honored prior to the start of the match and freshmen Erick Perez-Segnini and Andrew Stadler scored their first career goals as the Colonials beat the Musketeers for the eighth time in the last nine seasons.
Xavier (6-9-1, 3-3-1 A-10) struck first when Matt Kmetz converted a penalty kick in the 16th minute. GW junior goalkeeper Greg Yahr was booked for taking Slavisa Ubiparipovic down inside the 18-yard box. Kmetz beat Yahr with a shot to the lower left corner to spot the Musketeers a 1-0 lead.
Perez-Segnini tallied the equalizer less than five minutes later, volleying a loose ball inside the six-yard box into the net. Xavier goalkeeper Liam Curran stopped an initial volley-shot from Stadler, but the rebound fell directly to Perez-Segnini, who was perched on the far post.
Stadler scored the game-winner in the 61st minute on a near carbon copy of GW's match-tying goal. Junior Thomas Stuber collected a blocked shot on the left side of the box and sent a blast at Curran, who made the save, but allowed a rebound in front of the net. Stadler raced in and slammed the ball home for the deciding goal.
The fast-paced match featured 41 total shots, of which 19 were on target. GW put 11 of its 20 shots on goal and held a 4-3 edge in corner kicks. Yahr tied his career-high of seven saves for the fourth time this season. Curran turned away nine shots in the loss.
The Colonials remain in contention for an A-10 Tournament berth, which go to the top six teams in the final league standings. GW and Fordham are tied for seventh with eight points each. Xavier holds the sixth slot with 10 points.
GW will travel to La Salle for its last scheduled match next Sunday, October 29. No make-up date for the postponed October 6 match at Richmond has been announced.
