Box Score Millersville, Pa. - A pair of goals in each half lifted the Millersville men's soccer team to a 2-0 win over Seton Hill in the PSAC Quarterfinals on Tuesday night. With the victory, the Marauders advance to the PSAC Semifinals for the seventh straight season.
Millersville (12-5-1) scored the game-winner in the 18th minute off the head of sophomore
Jaime Vazquez. Senior, and leading goal scorer,
Andrew Dukes knocked in the home team's second score of the night just 30 seconds into the second half. The Marauder defense blanked the Griffins in their sixth shutout of the season.
Clark Habecker and
Ben Johnston each dished out an assist in the postseason match.
Head men's soccer coach
Steve Widdowson has now directed the Marauders to the PSAC Semifinals in each of his first seven seasons with the program. Since 2007, Widdowson has guided the Marauders to a 6-5-1 record in conference postseason play.
Seton Hill (10-7-1) drops its first ever PSAC Tournament contest after joining the conference this year. The Griffins took eight shots in the game but were only able to place two of their targets on the goal frame.
The Marauders controlled play earlier and nearly took a quick lead in the eighth minute when an
Anthony Fratini header glanced off the crossbar.
Millersville would strike in the 18th minute when Habecker sent a 30 yard pass into the box and Vazquez leaped and headed the ball past Griffin goalkeeper Clint McElheny for the 1-0 Marauder advantage. Vazquez's goal was his first career postseason score in a black and gold uniform.
The teams entered halftime with the score 1-0, but once the second period began it did not take the Black and Gold long to pad their lead.
Exactly 30 seconds into the final half, a
Ben Johnston pass sailed over the defense and towards the top of the box. Dukes raced past his defender and volleyed a shot from 20 yards out that bent over McElheny's hand and under the crossbar. The senior's score was his team leading 11th of the season and gives him a personal best 28 points on the year.
Seton Hill threatened a few more times throughout the remainder of the match, but the Millersville defense did its part and kept the Griffins off of the scoreboard.
Millersville is now 2-0 all-time in PSAC Quarterfinals after the conference went to a six-team playoff format in 2012.
The Marauders advance to face Slippery Rock on Friday in the conference semifinals. The game will be played at Mercyhurst, which earned home field advantage with the No. 1 seed. It starts at 2 p.m. Millersville and The Rock played last Wednesday with Slippery Rock pulling out a 4-3 win on two goals in the final 91 seconds.
Stay tuned to millersvilleathletics.com for more information about Friday's PSAC Semifinal match-up with Slippery Rock.