By Brandy Thurston, Director of Sports Information
(Morrisville, NY- Sept. 29, 2013) The Morrisville State College men’s soccer team cruised to a North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) win Sunday afternoon, dominating Route 20 rival and visiting Cazenovia College in a 5-0 final on Drake Field in Morrisville.
The win boosts the Mustangs to 6-2-2 overall, 2-0-1 in conference action. The Wildcats fall to 2-6 overall, dropping their first conference match of the season (2-1 NEAC).
Alan Peckham (Webster, N.Y.) led Morrisville State with two scores, while three additional teammates posted one apiece, including Jacob Chase (Cooperstown, N.Y.), Joe Sheehan (Liverpool, N.Y.) and Brian Culkin (West Islip, N.Y.).
Rob Larkin (Clinton, N.Y.) recorded the win, making one save in 65 minutes of play. Eric Berglund (Elmira, N.Y.) appeared for the final 25 minutes, also collecting one save.
Andrew Schultz (Millerton, N.Y.) posted 11 saves in the loss for Cazenovia, as Morrisville State held the 33-6 advantage in shots on the day.
It took just over two minutes for the Mustangs to put one on the board, as Chase collected a loose ball off a Schultz block from the corner kick and fired it into the back of the net for the early 1-0 Morrisville State lead.
With a persistent offensive attack, Morrisville State struck again thirty minutes later, as Bryant Loomis (Cincinnatus, N.Y.) crossed the ball to the right to the foot of Sheehan who chipped it in from 15 yards out for the two goal advantage and halftime lead.
In the second half, an early Mustang corner kick hit a Cazenovia defender and deflected to a wide open Peckham who rifled the shot from eight yards out on the left of the box for the third Morrisville State tally.
Seventeen minutes later, Peckham struck again, heading a cross from Loomis past Schultz for his second tally, and four goal commanding Mustang lead.
Morrisville State put the game out of reach in the 88th minute, with a scoring one-touch from Culkin off a direct kick from Danny Peckham (Webster, N.Y.).
Cazenovia’s best chance to score came with just 14:33 to go in the second period, as Joe Celeste (Glens Falls, N.Y.) had a breakaway down the right wing and rifled a shot towards the cage, forcing Berglund to make a lunging kick save to secure the shut out win for the Mustangs.
Morrisville State returns to the field Sunday, traveling to Utica College for a non-conference matchup.