University of Delaware Athletics
Stone's First Career Goal Puts UD In Sixth OT Game at Towson (Oct. 26, 2011)
10/26/2011 3:46:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Boxscore
TOWSON, Md. -- After a one-game respite from a run of four overtime games, the University of Delaware men's soccer team played Towson University to a 2-2 draw on Wednesday afternoon.
“This was a real tough battle on the road for UD today and we found the going difficult early on. It took us until the second half to really get going and I was delighted that our interim captain and senior Michael Stone scored an equalizing goal worthy of any world-class stadium,” said Ian Hennessy, who has guided Delaware to its first 10+-win season since 1985.
The Hens, now 10-3-2 overall and 5-3-1 in the CAA, played in their league-leading sixth overtime match of the year. Delaware is now 2-2-2 in 2011 in extra-time games and played their first conference draw since Oct. 20, 2010 in a 0-0 stalemate at George Mason.
Prior to Wednesday's game at Towson Center Soccer Complex, Delaware knocked off William & Mary at home, following four-straight overtime games against James Madison, Drexel, Hofstra and George Mason.
Senior defender Michael Stone scored his first-career goal as a Blue Hen, which proved to be the game-tying goal. Sophomore sensation Roberto Giménez led Delaware with three points, putting away a goal and assisted Stone's game-tying tally. Sophomore midfielder Vincent Mediate posted the helper on the Giménez goal.
In goal, Kris Devaux made three stops on the day as Towson managed just eight shots. Opposite the senior Blue Hen, John Steele stopped four of Delaware's six shots on goal. Delaware took 11 total attempts on the day.
Giménez, who has been named CAA Rookie of the Week three times this season, scored the first marker of the game in just the 12th minute of action. But the Tigers answered in the 30th minute as Anthony Okodua scored just his second of the season.
After heading to halftime 1-1, Towson (2-10-2, 1-7-1) jumped out to a one-goal lead in the 59th minute as Quinn Meehan registered his first goal of the season.
But in the end it was senior defender Michael Stone, making his ninth start of the season, who knotted things up and earned Delaware one point towards the conference standings. Stone pushed his shot past Steele in the 65th minute, getting a pass from Giménez.
With his three points, Giménez leapfrogged teammate Evans Frimpong as the team's lead scorer, now with 27 on 10 goals and seven assists. Frimpong,
As a team, Delaware has 32 goals on the year, the most under Hennessy and most since the 1975 team pushed 33 goals across. Delaware needs just six more tallies to tie the school record of 38, set in 1982.
The second most often contested game on Delaware's schedule, this was the 31st meeting all-time with the Tigers, who lead the series 25-3-3 since the teams first met in 1979. The Wednesday afternoon contest was the 28th straight season the two teams met, and second year in which Delaware earned conference points from the match up.
“We continue to try and get healthy for UNCW Saturday and hope the point today can get us to the playoffs but will need to wait for a few other results,” stated Hennessy of the Hens' next game.
Delaware continues its three-game road conference streak on Saturday when the Hens make the long trek to Wilmington, N.C. to face UNCW. Game time is slated 7 p.m. at UNCW Soccer Stadium.
