November 18, 2012
GIANT KILLERS
FDU men surprise another favored side in NCAA's, upending Saint Louis in OT, 2-1

Jack McVey headed home the game-winner for FDU in the second extratime. Photo courtesy of FDU SID

ST. LOUIS -- The Fairleigh Dickinson University men continued their improbable run in the NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament on Sunday, upending yet another favored team on the road.

The Knights dispatched eighth-seeded Saint Louis University, 2-1, in two extratimes at Robert R. Hermann Stadium. On Thursday night, they stopped 18th-ranked St. John's University in Queens, N.Y., 1-0.

FDU (11-5-6) will play the winner of the second-round encounter bwtween ninth-seeded North Carolina and University of Maryland-Baltimore County in the round of 16 on Sunday, Nov. 25. St. Louis ended its season at 16-5-0.

The Knights took a 1-0 lead in the 56th minute on freshman Jan Aubert’s goal. The host equalized tied it in the 73rd minute on a header from
Robbie Kistro.

The winning goal was set up by senior Antony Moore, who assisted on both goals. After sophomore Nico Wright and a SLU defender fell to the ground about 20 yards in Billikens’ territory, Moore went down the right sideline and sent a cross into the penalty area to McVey, who put it in from 10 yards.

FDU had to fend off a determined SLU attack in the first extra period. The Knights blocked a shot in traffic in the 95th minute, and junior goalkeeper Jacob Lissek came out near the edge of the box to halt a Billikens’ breakaway for one of his two saves.

Over the opening 45 minutes, FDU forced SLU goalkeeper Nick Shackelford to make all five of his saves during that stretch. Wright had a header denied in the 19th minute. Moore was stopped on a save off a volley in the 29th minute. One minute later, freshman Jan Aubert ripped a 25-yard shot, which forced Shackelford to make a leaping save to his right.

The Billikens had numerous opportunities to score in the first half, with the help of a 5-1 corner kick advantage, but the Knights put enough pressure on the SLU shots to force them off the mark.

The Billikens had a chance to score three minutes into the second half, but Lissek got to the ground to stop a shot from William Hidalgo.

In the 56th minute, Moore sent a cross from the right corner to Aubert, who found the back left side of the net to give the Knights a 1-0 lead.

Stepping its offensive pressure into a higher gear, SLU broke through in the 73rd minute on a header from Kristo that found the upper left corner of the goal to equalize.