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Senior Day Photo Gallery
2017 MAAC Championship Central
Riverdale, NY – Junior
Lucas Da Silva (West Palm Beach, FL / Palm Beach Atlantic) delivered the game-winner in the 28th minute as Manhattan clinched a spot in the 2017 MAAC Championship with a 1-0 victory over Niagara on Senior Day at Gaelic Park.
With the win, the Jaspers improve to 9-7-0 overall and 6-3-0 in MAAC play, good for 18 points. Niagara drops to 2-12-2 in 2017 and 1-6-1 in conference competition.
Both sides jumped out of the gate with offensive opportunities. Niagara rattled off four straight corner kicks in the 13th minute, but Manhattan turned away each chance. On the other side, senior
Greg Bohn (Loveland, OH / Loveland), who earned the started today. Rang a shot off the crossbar 15 minutes into the game.
The Jaspers drew first blood when sophomore
Jean-Baptiste Tamas-Leloup (Sainte Bazeille, France / Merignac) inserted the ball into the attacking third. Junior
Callum Carsley (Birmingham, England / Princethorpe College) crossed the ball from the far corner and Da Silva one-timed a shot past keeper Steve Casey to put Manhattan ahead 1-0.
With five minutes left in the first half, the Purple Eagles' Zulfikar Karimi directed a shot from 20 yards out in the middle of the field, but Jasper netminder
Marcellin Gohier (Pouance, France) corralled the ball for his first save of the afternoon.
With less than 90 seconds until halftime, senior
Luke Greaves (Lancashire, England / Accrington & Rossendale) was issued a red card after drawing a yellow card earlier in the match, forcing Manhattan to play with just 10 men the rest of the way.
Manhattan answered back with long possessions and multiple offensive opportunities in the second half. In the 55th minute, Da Silva lined up for an open shot from 25 yards out. However, his right-footed kick curved right and sailed wide as a result. Almost 20 minutes later, sophomore
Milan Devuyst (Ostend, Belgium / ODU) fed senior
Troy Carrington (Verona, NJ / Syracuse) on back-to-back plays, but Carrington was unable to launch a shot.
The Purple Eagles almost netted the equalizer in the 81st minute when Konrad Zydowicz headed a cross towards the far post. Gohier stuck out his right foot to deny him of a goal.
Earlier in the afternoon, the Jaspers celebrated Senior Day by honoring Carrington, Greaves, Bohn,
Jose Meza,
Joe Hulme and Corentin Guégan.
Inside The Numbers
- Manhattan has clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2015.
- The six conference wins are the most in the
Jorden Scott era (since 2013). They are also the most MAAC wins in the previous 25 years.
- With just 14 goals allowed this year, the Jaspers are poised to break the record for the fewest goals allowed in a single season (23 in 2014).
- This was Manhattan's eighth shutout of the season, which is tied for the most in a single season with the 1988 Jaspers.
- Da Silva has increased his team lead to 16 points. Carsley also extended his team lead with his fifth assist of the year.
- Bohn started his first game since September 30, 2015 against Fairfield.
- With his sixth individual shutout of the season, Gohier now ranks third for the most shutouts in a single season, tied with Colin Leaver (2004) and Andy Hlushko (1980).
- The Jaspers outshout the Purple Eagles 14-8, including 9-4 in the first half. It is the eighth time this season Manhattan has outshot its opponent.
- Both teams registered five corner kicks.
Up Next
Manhattan is off this weekend. The Jaspers wrap up their final game of the regular season with a road contest against Canisius on Wednesday, November 1. Kickoff is tabbed for 4:00 pm.
