The Mount Ida College men's soccer team lost to Norwich University in the semifinal round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tournament by a score of 5-0 in Northfield, Vermont this Tuesday afternoon. The Mustangs 2008 season ends on a high note taking fourth place in the GNAC standings at 9-6-4, 5-3-1 in the conference. Mount Ida men's soccer had the best overall season thus far out of any team in the two years the institution has been affiliated with the GNAC.
The top-seeded Cadets (16-2-1) will host third-seeded St. Joseph's College (ME), who upset second-seeded Lasell, 2-0, in the other semifinal game. The championship game will be played on Saturday, November 8th, at Howard Field in Northfield, Vermont; the start time has yet to be determined.
Ryan Boyton (Dunedin, FL/Dunedin Senior) scored his first goal of the match at the 15:31 mark, taking a nice feed from junior forward Jake Yaris (Raymond, NH/Raymond) and beating Mount Ida goalkeeper Kevin DosSantos (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland/C.C.R.I) to put the Cadets on top, 1-0.
Rob Harlow (West Springfield, MA/Vermont Academy) doubled Norwich's lead at the 23:24 mark, as the senior forward settled a crossing pass from senior forward Drew Dilley (Lancaster, PA/Hempfield) and struck a ball into the lower right-hand corner of the net to put the Cadets ahead, 2-0.
Yaris made it 3-0 just before halftime when he deflected a cross from sophomore forward Jan Heyboer (Park Ridge, NJ/Don Bosco Prep) past DosSantos at the 44:34 mark.
Boyton tallied his second marker of the day-and his team-leading 20th of the season-at the 65:28 mark when he took a pass from Jason Grupp (Highland Mills, NY/Monroe-Woodbury) and ripped a shot that caromed off the cross bar and into the net to push the Cadets' advantage to 4-0.
Junior midfielder Bob Begin (Hardwick, MA/Quabbin Regional) capped the scoring in the 73rd minute when he scored an unassisted goal on a breakaway.
The five goals were more than enough for Norwich goalkeepers Charles Maxwell (Rocehster, NH/Mendon) and Brian Riopelle (Methuen, MA/Methuen), who combined on the shutout.
Norwich outshot Mount Ida, 22-9, and the Cadets held a 5-0 edge in corner kicks. Norwich also held the lead in the fouls category at 19-16. The Mustangs had a tough time getting anything going due to the fact that they were bugged with injuries early on in the contest losing four key starters for most of the game.