Box Score
The 23-year wait is over: the New York University men's soccer team captured its first University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship on Saturday, November 6, with a 1-0 victory over Brandeis University on
Adam Fein's late second-half goal.
Fein's history-making tally came with 11:27 left in regulation. With the 21st-ranked Violets (11-2-4, 4-0-3) pressing for the go-ahead goal,
Kyle Green collected the ball near midfield and lofted a through ball to a speeding Fein down the middle. The junior outraced his defender and flicked a shot over the charging keeper and into the back of the net to lift NYU to one of the biggest wins in school history.
“It was a nerve-racking, exciting game,” said head coach
Joe Behan moments after being doused with the Gatorade cooler on the bench. “There is just no easy game in this conference, and today was proof. But eventually
Adam Fein snuck in and got a brilliant goal.”
That brilliant goal gave the Violets 15 points in UAA play, ensuring them of the outright title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The full tournament field, which will feature NYU for the first time since 2007, will be announced live on Monday at 2:00 pm on NCAA.com.
The Violets winning their first UAA Championship was not the only history made on Saturday. In keeping the Judges (9-7-1, 1-5-1) off the board, NYU became the first team in UAA history to go all seven Association games without allowing a goal. The Violets also tied the school record for shutouts in a season, with 12, and extended their consecutive scoreless minutes streak to a school record 715:25 – a stretch of more than seven games.
No play was bigger in making those defensive records fall than the save defender
Danny Weisbaum made in the 29th minute. Brandeis' Matt Hohmann slipped a pass back to Alexander Farr in the box, and Farr's hard, low shot found its way past goalkeeper
Matt Stieve. But Weisbaum was in perfect position on the goal line, and he dropped to the ground to turn away the shot and keep things scoreless.
“Incredible,” commented Behan. “That was a game-winning save.”
Both teams had plenty of great opportunities in the first half, but neither could find the back of the net. Just 7:15 in
Paolo Luciano made a long run to the right end line, then made a remarkable deke to get off a shot that was stopped by goalkeeper Taylor Bracken.
Luciano had another great chance in the 20th minute, ripping a free kick that was punched just over the bar by Bracken.
Fein nearly scored in the first half on a play almost identical to the goal he eventually scored in the second. Green played a through ball to the junior all alone in the middle of the field, but he took one touch too many, and Bracken was able to slide and take it away.
The Judges had several opportunities in the first half, as well, forcing Stieve to make a pair of saves in addition to Weisbaum's big stop. In the second half, though, NYU began to take over, with
Matt Newman nearly breaking through in the 62nd minute with a low blast aimed for the right corner that Bracken had to make a fantastic diving stop to keep out.
Seventeen minutes later, though, Fein finally put the Violets ahead, and when the clock showed no time remaining the team stormed the field in celebration.
“We were defending with our lives early on, but I thought in the second half we did really, really well,” noted Behan. “We'll enjoy winning the UAA until Monday.”
