STONY BROOK, N.Y. — The two-seeded Seawolves struck for two late goals to defeat No. 3 Monmouth in the CAA North Division Quarterfinal on Thursday evening at LaValle Stadium.
Finlay Oliver and
Alex Fleury accounted for Stony Brook's offense, while
Heidar Hermannsson made eight saves en route to the Seawolves' third straight clean sheet and first postseason victory since 2012.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In a tightly contested first half, Heidar Hermannsson stood out for the Seawolves, clearing Monmouth chances and coming up with a huge early chance to keep Monmouth off the board. Hermannsson's reactionary one-handed save certainly kept Monmouth from gaining an advantage on the scoreboard, but also seemed to give Stony Brook momentum.
Alex Fleury had a great chance off a free kick turned away in the early going, as Stony Brook began to control possession and the tempo of the match. Caleb Danqauh had a chance from inside the box that deflected up and out of play and later it was Finlay Oliver who just missed a chance on the doorstep.
Jackson Gould and Ryota Kono saw good looks at goal sail over the crossbar as well. In the final seconds of the first half it was again Oliver who had a chance to break the tie, but his shot bounded off the crossbar and over the cage as time expired.
Both keepers continued their strong performances through the first 20-plus minutes of second-half action at LaValle, making stops to keep things scoreless. It was Oliver who finally broke through. He received a pass from Ryan Farr, who found the ball on his foot after a Monmouth turnover, and Oliver finished to put the Seawolves ahead in the 79th minute.
Stony Brook did not let up offensively, finding the back of the net again in the 89th minute. Alex Fleury provided the proverbial nail in the coffin with a late goal, securing the Seawolves a spot in the semifinals across town against Hofstra on Sunday.
STATS AND NOTES
- Hermannsson made a career-best eight saves, earning his third straight clean sheet and fourth shutout of his rookie campaign.
- Oliver netted the game-winning goal. The tally was his team-leading eighth of the season. His 18 points also pace the squad.
- Fleury found the back of the net for the third time this season. Fleury has netted all three of his goals this season over the span of Stony Brook's last four fixtures.
- Stony Brook put together its third consecutive clean sheet, dating back to October 25 at Drexel. The Seawolves have not conceded a goal since the first half of the last meeting with Monmouth (October 18), a streak that spans more than 326 minutes.
- The Seawolves have won four straight contests and earned a result in five straight matches.
- The win represented Stony Brook's first postseason victory since 2012.
UP NEXT
Stony Brook advances to face No. 2 Hofstra in the CAA North Division Semifinal on Sunday, November 9 in Hempstead. The Seawolves and Pride are set for a 2 pm first touch in Nassau County with a trip to the conference championship on the line. The match will stream live on FloCollege.
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