Box Score
POTSDAM, N.Y.—Clarkson University (5-10-1) scored two second half goals to defeat the SUNY Potsdam men's soccer team(7-8-3) 2-0 in the Bears' regular season finale on Tuesday night. Tobin Boomer scored both goals for the Golden Knights.
The teams battled to an even scoreless draw in the first half. Potsdam had a flurry of chances just before the break, but was unable to get on the board. Bears junior goalkeeper
Joseph Glackin made two saves in his 45 minutes in goal.
Clarkson controlled the second period from the outset, forcing Potsdam junior goalie
Jake Gyder to make a big save just 1:43 into the second period. The Golden Knights attack didn't let up and Angelo DiFrancesco set up a Boomer header at the 48:59 mark. Clarkson shutdown the Bears offense and pinned them back in their own half for much of the remaining contest. At 65:14, DiFrancesco connected with Boomer again for the game's final tally.
Gyder made six saves in the second half. Clarkson goalie Scott Stuart made two saves through the entire contest to earn the shutout. The Golden Knights outshot Potsdam 18-4, including a
10-1 advantage in the second half.
“I wasn't really happy with the effort,” said Bears Head Coach
Adam Parker. “The first 20 minutes we showed a lot of life and then after that we were chasing them the rest of the game. We had no real leadership on defense. They were winning every first ball and put us on our heels to get the goals they needed. I told the guys that this isn't acceptable.”
Parker reminded his players of the position they are in.
“They have to understand that we're possibly three games from the NCAA Tournament and they have to dream a little bit,” said Parker. “No one thinks that we can do it, but you've got to believe and dream that you can.”
The Bears make their second postseason appearance in program history, the first since 2002, on Saturday, Oct. 29. Fifth-seeded Potsdam travels to Plattsburgh to face the fourth-seeded Cardinals at 2 p.m. The Bears tied Plattsburgh 0-0 in their SUNYAC opener on Sept. 24.
