Behind some brilliant saves from senior goalkeeper Charlie Paar, the top-seed #7/6 Stony Brook Seawolves eliminated the Vermont Catamounts, 10-6, at LaValle Stadium in the semifinals of the America East Championship tournament.
“Charlie was great and made some incredible saves,” Seawolves head coach Rick Sowell, who was named theAmerica East Coach of the Year, said of Paar. Paar made 16 saves in the game.
Junior Kevin Crowley, the 2010 America East Player of the Yearby a unanimous vote, had three goals for the Seawolves (11-3). Sophomore Robbie Campbell added three of his own and tallied an assist.
The game began much differently from Stony Brook’s 16-10 thrashing of Vermont on Saturday. The Catamounts had reconsidered their defensive strategy, or perhaps decided to actually implement it. Either way, they kept Stony Brook’s high-powered offense off the board for 6:45 until Crowley scored the opening goal for the Seawolves.
Crowley scored again with 1:27 to go in the quarter and senior Tom Compitello scored with :15 left to give Stony Brook a 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Compitello added another just over three minutes later, but the Catamounts would get a goal back six minutes later.
With just under five minutes to go in the first half, senior defender Michael Sopko got a pass in transition and ran the length of the field to score his first collegiate goal.
The Seawolves led 5-1 heading into halftime.
Out of the break, the Catamounts were patient on offense–careful to not give the Seawolves’ offense, which includes three first-team all-America East selections, any free chances–still had a lockdown in their defensive zone.
But there is no bolt strong enough to keep the Seawolves away from goal, and Campbell found the goal at the 9:24 of the third quarter. A minute and a half later Campbell assisted sophomore Kyle Belton to give Stony Brook a 7-1 advantage.
America East Rookie of the Year Drew Philie pulled one back for Vermont, but Campbell scored twice more and Crowley added his 43rd of the season to push Stony Brook’s lead to 10-2.
Vermont’s efforts at a late comeback were futile, and the Catamount’s four straight goals were for pride only as the Seawolves held on for their seventh straight victory to advance to the America East Championship finals on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The final will be played at LaValle Stadium against the winner of Albany and UMBC on Wednesday night.
