Troy, N.Y.- Two second half goals canceled each other out as the Clarkson University Men's Soccer team played to a 1-1 tie, Saturday afternoon at RPI.
With the result Clarkson moves to 6-1-8, 2-1-5 in league play.
Clarkson managed two chances in the opening 16 minutes off the back of focused attacking play. In the 5th minute, Eric McKean was able to get on the end of a cross in the middle of the box but was unable to get any power behind his header, providing an easy stop for Colin Such. A little over ten minutes later, Daniel Medina had a chance on goal off a loose ball headed away by an RPI defender. The ball settled into a gentle roll just outside of the 18 as Medina struck it with his left foot but again was unable to generate any dangerous power with Such sliding to his left to collect the bouncing attempt.
Another chance came the way of the Knights in the 32nd minute with Medina floating in a cross from the left-wing. The ball traveled over an initial RPI defender as Luis Cervantes met it with his head about 12 yards out. The ball seemed to catch Cervantes by surprise however, as the attempt took two bounces before being scooped up by Such. The best chance of the half for Clarkson presented itself in the 35th minute as a long cross from Josh Conklin was spilled by Such right to the feet of Lars Stephensson. The freshman was able to steady himself and send a shot on the ground towards the open goal. Quick reactions from the RPI backline came in handy as the shot was cleared off the line and out of danger.
As the game opened up in the second half, continuous pressure from Clarkson proved vital as the Knights constructed the opener in the 62nd minute. A cross from the right wing traveled through the box where Medina picked it up just inside the left side of the penalty box. Some quick feet were displayed by the junior as he wriggled his way past a defender towards the endline, where he placed a beautiful ball at the feet of Zach Shufelt just a few yards away. Shufelt redirected the ball, first-time, with his right foot and past the goalie for the lead Clarkson deserved.
Determined to defend home field on senior day, RPI turned up the attacking pressure putting the Knights backline under fire almost immediately. After winning a dangerous free kick at the top of the 18, the hosts set up for what seemed to be a practiced routine. As the initial kick taker slid the ball towards the middle to Oliver Szorc, the Golden Knight defense descended upon the attacker, blocking the shot and getting clear of any second chances. The continued pressure finally paid off for the Engineers in the 75th minute. Lazy play from a Clarkson defender was pounced upon by RPI who moved the ball quickly to a dangerous area about 20 yards out in the middle of the field. Benjamin Dionisio allowed a pass to run across his body with his back turned to goal, right into the path of Sam Shmukler, whose right footed strike traveled past a diving Carter Kladstrup, into the bottom right corner for the equalizer.
Neither side managed to create an opportunity in the remaining 15 minutes as both teams were forced to settle for a tie, with the Liberty League regular season drawing to a close in a week.
Kladstrup registered one save in goal for the Knights while Such stopped five in the first half in a shared effort with Noah Churchill who did not make a save in the second half.
Clarkson was able to hold the advantage in shots (10-7), shots on goal (7-2) and corners (6-3) as the 1-1 tie was the team's fifth game of the 2024 season with an identical scoreline.
