Hofstra, Drexel Win Thursday to Advance to CAA Men's Soccer Semifinals

11/3/2022 9:01:18 PM

Miles McQuiggan

ELON and WILMINGTON, N.C. (Nov. 3, 2022) – Goals from Hofstra’s Ryan Carmichael and Drexel’s Cesar Banacloy provided all the offense necessary to advance from the First Round of the CAA Men’s Soccer Championship in a pair of 1-0 Thursday night victories.

No. 3 Hofstra 1, No. 6 William & Mary 0 (2OT)

Ryan Carmichael scored in the 103^rd minute and Wessel Speel and the defense provided a 110-minute shutout to advance Hofstra past William & Mary in an overtime thriller to open the Championship.

Hofstra recorded all six shots on goal in the first half but William & Mary had a great chance of its own in the 24^th minute, as Diba Nwegbo’s shot with Speel out of the goal sailed high of the crossbar.

The Pride had a pair of chances in the 77^th minute but an open net was protected by the Tribe’s Theo Biddle to hold the ball off the line and keep the game scoreless.

After a scoreless first overtime session, a W&M pass was cut off and Shane Salmon launched the ball ahead to Carmichael, who got past two defenders and beat the keeper to his right for the game’s only tally.

Danilo Nikcevic made eight saves for William & Mary in the defeat. Hofstra’s clean sheet was its seventh of the season. Carmichael and Oliver Svalander combined for 12 of Hofstra’s 15 shots in the contest and seven of 10 shots on goal.

The Pride has won at least one game in the Championship for the fifth consecutive season and will also play in its fifth straight semifinal. The victory is Richard Nuttall’s 16^th in the conference tournament.

Hofstra will advance to a Sunday semifinal against No. 2 seed UNCW. The game in Wilmington will start at 2 p.m. and be available on FloFC.

No. 5 Drexel 1, No. 4 Northeastern 0

A 65-second swing from penalty save to game-winning goal fueled fifth-seeded Drexel in its first victory in the CAA Championship since 2013.

After a Drexel handball in the 66^th minute, Alessandro Capogna made a key stop on a penalty kick to keep the game scoreless. Just over a minute later, a throw-in from near the corner was sent into the box and after a scramble in front, Cesar Banacloy corralled the bouncing ball and drove it past the keeper to open the scoring.

Drexel recorded five of the six shots on goal in the first 45 minutes with Colby Hegarty making four saves for Northeastern.

Capogna made five saves in his sixth shutout of 2022. Hegarty turned aside five shots for the game.

Drexel’s victory Thursday was its first in the Championship since winning the 2013 title game. The Dragons are in the semifinals in three straight years for the first time in their CAA tenure. The No. 5 seed in the Championship is 6-1-0 against the No. 4 seed in the last seven matchups in the Championship dating back to 2014.

Drexel will advance to face top-seeded Elon on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Rudd Field on FloFC.

Sunday, Nov. 6 – Elon, N.C.
No. 5 Drexel at No. 1 Elon – 1 p.m., FloFC

Sunday, Nov. 6 – Wilmington, N.C.
No. 3 Hofstra at No. 2 UNCW – 2 p.m., FloFC

Saturday, Nov. 12 – Highest Remaining Seed
Championship Final – Time TBD, FloFC

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