Ithaca, N.Y. - A close miss in the waning seconds of the contest nearly provided a breakthrough as the Clarkson University Men's Soccer team tied 0-0 at Ithaca College, Saturday afternoon.
The men move to 6-4-4 overall, 3-3-2 in conference. The team travels across town to SUNY Potsdam for a non-league matchup on Tuesday before hosting Vassar College next Saturday, on senior day, in a game that could have massive playoff implications for both teams.
It was a game of tight margins as both sides would battle to create open opportunities in front of goal. Carter Kladstrup was called into action in the 10th minute when Jack Carney elevated above the defense on a corner, heading a shot that looked to be looping towards the far right corner before a strong palm from Kladstrup pushed the shot over the crossbar.
Kladstrup would make two more stops in quick succession in the 14th and 17th minutes. The senior denied Clarney again when the attacker was sent through on a wide break on the right wing, attempting a shot to Kladstrup's right which he got down early to make the stop. The second effort, a long range attempt from Jack Longo, took several bounces through a crowd in front of goal before being collected by Kladstrup.
The first on target attempt for the Knights came in the 24th minute following a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box. Paul Rolland took command of set piece duties, attempting to place a right-footed shot into the bottom right corner that was met by Johannes Berghahn. The Knights would continue to ask questions of the Bomber defense before the halftime whistle when an attack down the left wing in the 36th minute nearly provided the breakthrough. Zach Ruthfield produced a driving run down the byline, centering the ball into the box just before reaching the end line. The pass made it through to Jay Jezioro who slid while attempting a shot on goal that was deflected by a Bomber defender, settling right in front of Beghahn, who was able to collect.
Ithaca dominated the shots category in the second half, producing 15 to Clarkson's four. The lone attempt on target early on for the Knights came in the 61st minute when Ruthfield found himself on the end of a long ball forward from midfield. The freshman attempted to redirect the ball on the volley but appeared to hit a defender with the ball which again caused it to settle just in front of Beghahn again who was happy to snag it.
Both sides came within inches of scoring in the final three minutes of play. In the 88th minute, Ithaca floated in a corner from the right side that traveled dangerously towards the back post. Emile Antoine managed to get his head on the ball in a crowd, sending it towards goal. The shot appeared destined to be the opener before striking the top of the crossbar and going behind for a goal kick. Back the other way with just 40 seconds remaining, Rolland would pick up a pass in midfield and drive towards his right, just outside of the Bomber penalty area. The sophomore struck a right-footed shot with pace that looked to catch Beghahn out of position, looping over the top of the goalie. The left post would save the Ithaca keeper on this occasion as the shot struck the outside of the woodwork and rebound back into play.
Ithaca held a significant advantage in shots (21-8) as well as in shots on goal (8-3). Jezioro, Ruthfield and Rolland all registered multiple shots for the Knights. In goal, Kladstrup would be credited with a season high, eight saves, tying a career second-best. Beghahn made three in goal for the Bombers.
