ERIE, Pa – Matt Dziadosz (Leechburg, PA/Kiski Area) scored the game-winning goal in the 104th minute to lead Behrend past SUNY Geneseo 1-0 in the Herb Lauffer Memorial Soccer Tournament championship game Sunday afternoon.
At 103:21, Dziadosz sealed the game with a left-footed laser in the corner of the net of off a Cole Ferguson (Mars, PA/Mars) assist to help the Lions (2-0) capture the title for the first time since 2013. Dziadosz and goalkeeper Chris Ralph (Murrysville, PA/Franklin Regional) earned Co-MVP for the tournament. Ralph made three stops for a second shutout of the season.
The Knights (1-1) battled back and forth with Behrend the entire game, keeping the audience on their feet at all times. Geneseo got off to a quick start when Reidis Lata fired a ball off the goal post just 10 minutes into the game. Fourteen minutes later, Dziadosz retaliated for the Lions with a shot off the goal post of his own.
Just six minutes into the second half, Aaron Harris (Washington, PA/McGuffey) broke free from the defense to give him a breakaway opportunity, but goalkeeper Dillion Medd kept Behrend off the board with a big save.
The game between the Lions and Knights was held scoreless throughout regulation and first overtime, mainly to do with the goalkeeping on both sides. Ralph kept the game alive by notching a one-handed save from point-blank range just seconds into overtime. Medd stopped Harris once again with a kick-save a few minutes into the second overtime.
With 6:39 before potential penalty kicks, Dziadosz's heroics kept the Lions undefeated record intact.
The Lions are back in action on Friday night at John Carroll at 7:00 p.m.
