Greg DeMaio
Bob Ziadie
Greg DeMaio scored the game winner with 3:26 left in regulation as the Monarchs snapped DeSales 10-game winning streak

Monarch Soccer Stuns 1st Place DeSales 4-3 With Three Goals over Final 9:24, Move into 3rd Place in Freedom Conference

10/22/2011 9:23:00 PM

OCTOBER 22, 2011

KING'S MEN'S SOCCER REGISTERS IMPORTANT FREEDOM CONFERENCE VICTORY OVER FIRST-PLACE DESALES

WILKES-BARRE -- The King's College men's soccer team scored three goals over the last 9:24 of the game, including the game winner by Greg DeMaio with 3:26 remaining, as the Monarchs posted a thrilling 4-3 victory over first-place DeSales University in a critical Freedom Conference matchup Saturday night at McCarthy Stadium in the Betzler Athletic Complex.

With the win, King's improved to 10-3-2 overall and 4-2 in Freedom Conference play. DeSales, meanwhile, slipped to 13-3-1 overall and suffered its first (5-1) conference defeat and saw its 10-game wining streak come to an end. The defending Freedom Conference champion Bulldogs entered the contest ranked 15th nationally in Division III.

King's, which entered the day in fourth-place in the Freedom Conference standings, moved into third-place, a half-game ahead of Eastern (3-2-1 Freedom) which dropped to the fourth spot with a 3-2 home overtime loss to Manhattanville.

King's took a 1-0 lead just 1:09 into the game when Kevin Burke knocked in a rebound off an initial shot by Alex Martino that caromed off the crossbar.

DeSales quickly responded when Derek Longscored on a header directly off a sideline throw by Tyler Nolan at 4:18.

In the second half DeSales took a 2-1 lead at the 68:15 mark when Jon Mill poked a loose ball into the Monarch net.

King's countered at 80:36 when Kevin Buchanan scored on a breakaway off a lead pass from Niall Croke to knot the score at 2-1. The Monarchs quickly recaptured the lead just 1:34 later when Croke scored a goal of his own unassisted at 82:36 to put the Monarchs on top 3-2.

DeSales, however, answered again only 2:40 later on a Tyler Nolan header following a free kick at 85:16. The fireworks would continue when King's answered on a Greg DeMaio score just 1:18 later to put the Monarchs on top 4-3 at 86:34.

The Monarchs defense would stand firm the rest of the way as King's earned its biggest win of the season.

King's outshot DeSales 14-12 while the Bulldogs owned a 7-5 edge in corner kicks. King's goalie Mark Labbadia posted four saves while DeSales goalie Colin Silpizio tallied five stops

King's will host Lebanon Valley Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. before closing out the regular-season Saturday with a 7:00 p.m. home matchup against Freedom Conference rival Manhattanville.
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