Corey Robbins converts clutch PK for Castleton State
Toolbox
By TOM HALEY Rutland herald Staff - Published: November 2, 2009
CASTLETON — Castleton State College's Corey Robbins of Barre, Josh Costa, Greg Klopfer and Jon Vogt converted their penalty kicks and goalie Mike Anthony made saves on two of Johnson's to lift the Spartans to victory by virtue of winning the penalty-kick tiebreaker 4-2 in the North Atlantic Conference men's semifinal soccer game against Johnson State on Sunday at Spartan Stadium.
The Spartans and Badgers played 110 minutes of soccer, including 20 minutes of overtime, but were still locked in a 2-2 tie, necessitating the penalty-kick session, where each team selects five players to shoot.
Johnson's Chad Koenig drilled a hard, low shot just to Anthony's right and he made the diving save. Noor Bulle and Victor Abass then made their PKs. Ryan Joy needed to make good on his to prolong the session and he tried to go to Anthony's left, but Anthony made the diving stop to touch off a wild celebration.
The two-time NAC champion Spartans' now visit No. 1 Husson University in Bangor, Maine, for the title game, with a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament on the line for the winner.
"If I see something in the shooter (that tips it off), I guess which way he is going. If not, I just try to react," Anthony said. "Both of those saves were total reaction."
The No. 6 Badgers came out and deployed exactly the type of game Castleton coach John Werner was expecting them to against his No. 2 Spartans: a physical match with a defensive posture.
Johnson coach Brian Buczek's game plan could not have worked better. Despite being outshot 24-3, the Badgers took a 1-0 lead to halftime. The goal came at the 31:12 mark, an unassisted tally by Chris Keefer. He did with a breakaway on the left side of the box.
The Spartans tied it 4:32 after the half. It was an own-goal, knocked in by a defender when the Badgers failed to clear a cross from Castleton's Chris Mulholland.
There was irony that when the Spartans finally broke through, it was an own-goal because they had peppered Johnson keeper Steve Noyes.
Noyes was sensational as the Spartans unloaded 46 shots, including 20 on net. The first-time college senior keeper, a basketball and lacrosse player for the Badgers, had not played in the net since he was at Spaulding High School.
"We are excited for him. He has not played goalie in a number of years, but we identified him as a strong athlete," Buczek said.
Morrisville's Ryan Demars gave the Badgers a 2-1 lead at the 61:38 mark when he capitalized on a loose ball in the box after a corner kick.
The Spartans, who defeated Johnson 2-0 in the regular-season game, drew even with 16:18 remaining in regulation time. Billy Lund played the ball into the box from about 35 yards out and Greg Klopfer netted the equalizer, his first goal of the season.
The Badgers came to play and they sent a message they were not backing down, even though they put the emphasis on defending the goal. They committed 39 fouls to 14 for Castleton.
"Give Johnson a lot of credit," Werner said. "They knew we were the better team and they did what they had to do.
"It is always a hard-fought game between these two teams. I knew they would play physical and that they would play defensively."
Werner and Buczek both said they felt the Badgers might have an advantage in the penalty-kick session because Johnson had just gone through the format, advancing in the quarterfinals on penalty kicks against Thomas College.
"Castleton's goalkeeper is very strong," Buczek said. "If our players had to do it (PKs) over, I think they would not try to push the ball as much. But after playing 110 minutes, fatigue starts to set in."
Husson won its semifinal game Sunday, blanking Maine Maritime 2-0.
All day long, the Spartans shot and shot. Klopfer touched off 14, four on goal, and Sean Fitzgerald unloaded 11, seven of which were on net, as Noyes was scrambling all afternoon. They and their teammates came so very close so many times, but if they were not wide or high, Noyes was had the answer, often in spectacular fashion.
Conversely, Anthony had to make but a single save, but he certainly stood up in the PK stanza.
"The challenge for a goalie in a game like that is to stay in it mentally," Anthony said.
And when it came to the penalty kicks, he more than met that challenge.
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