SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Senior keeper Jacob Perry made two saves in the penalty shootout and the Union College men's soccer team made its final four shootout attempts as the fourth-seeded Garnet Chargers advanced in the postseason for the first time since 2009 by defeating fifth-seeded Clarkson University, 5-4, after the teams played to a 1-1 (2OT) tie in the first round of the Liberty League Tournament on Tuesday afternoon at College Park Field.
In the shooout, after sophomore Logan Weitzmann made the first attempt for the Garnet Chargers and was matched by a Golden Knight, Perry and Clarkson's Carter Kladstrup traded saves to keep the score tied at one. The Garnet Chargers made their next four attempts to keep the pressure on Clarkson, with first-year Shane Crowley, senior Justin Ely, junior Declan Crowley and first-year Kofi Sarfoh all helping to extend the match. In the latter half of the sixth round, Perry dove to his left to deny Jay Jezioro and set off a celebration from the Union bench and fans.
Union and Clarkson (6-5-5) engaged in a defensive struggle for almost the entirety of regulation, with the teams combining for just eight shots over the opening 86 minutes. Perry made one save and Kladstrup stopped two to keep the match scoreless.
The Garnet Chargers finally broke through in the waning seconds of the 87th minute, when Sarfoh controlled a cross from senior Grant Della Rocca right in front of the Clarkson net and firing the ball into the top-right corner to put the home team three minutes from advancement. However, the lead only lasted 88 seconds before Clarkson's Jack Grace evened the score with 1:39 remaining in regulation.
Perry made the only save of the two overtime sessions to keep the match level, sending the teams into penalty kicks.
The teams finished the day knotted at eight shots apiece, while Union took seven corner kicks to Clarkson's two.
With the shootout victory, Union (7-5-6) advances to the Liberty League Tournament semifinals on Friday at top-seeded and #16 Hobart College. Game time is set for 1:30 p.m. in Geneva.