Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. – After playing five straight road games to begin the season, the Manhattan College men's soccer team finally took the field at Gaelic Park on Friday night. The Jaspers (1-4-1) and La Salle (3-4-1) battled to a scoreless draw for 90 minutes, but the Explorers' Colman Kennedy scored off a corner kick midway through the first overtime period to give his team a 1-0 victory.
In the 97th minute, Mike Liska took a corner kick for the Explorers. His ball was placed perfectly off the back foot of Joe Farrell and directly to Kennedy, who beat Alex Coates McDowall (York, England) low on the right side for the game-winner.
Manhattan had the better offensive chances in the first half, firing seven shots on La Salle goalkeeper Mike Kirk. Reese Akers (Katy, Texas) fired a shot that was saved midway through the period, while Kirk made another save on Jake Scavetta's (Miller Place, N.Y.) shot in the 40th minute. Alex Shackley (Las Vegas, Nev.) secured the rebound and fired another shot from in front, which was blocked over the end line for a Jaspers corner kick. However, Manhattan couldn't convert on the set piece, and the sides went into halftime scoreless.
The Jaspers had another golden opportunity early in the second half, but Daniel Laguna Kennedy (Madrid, Spain) saw his shot sail high. From there, the Manhattan defense helped keep the game scoreless, as the Jaspers were outshot 17-4 in the period and Coates McDowall made five saves. After Coates McDowall stopped a Farrell header in the 88th minute, the Explorers earned a corner kick with less than 10 seconds remaining in regulation. After Manhattan's Kristian Alexieff (West Nyack, N.Y.) received a yellow card for stalling, La Salle was given a chance to set up the corner kick once more with four seconds left. The Explorers were unable to get a shot off before time ran out, though, sending the game into an extra session.
Coates McDowall (1-4-1) recorded five saves, all in the second half. As a team, Manhattan fired 13 shots, led by Laguna Kennedy's four.
La Salle held a 22-13 advantage in shots and a 10-4 edge in corner kicks. Mike Kirk (3-2-1) made four saves in the shutout.
Friday night's contest was Manhattan's final non-conference game of the season. The Jaspers (0-0-0 MAAC) open their Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) schedule by visiting Marist (4-2-2, 0-0-0 MAAC) at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
