Men's Soccer Downs JMU 2-0, Clinches CAA Regular Season Crown

Friday, November 2

Vidas Field

7:00

Drexel University

12-3-2, 8-1-1

James Madison

8-6-3, 6-2-2

JMU

DREXEL

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Men's Soccer Downs JMU 2-0, Clinches CAA Regular Season Crown

11/2/2012 9:45:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - Two second-half goals propelled the Drexel men's soccer team to a 2-0 victory over James Madison on Friday night and the team's first-ever outright regular season Colonial Athletic Association championship. Drexel, which finished the season four points clear of its nearest competitor in the league, will now host the tournament semifinals and championship game next week.

Tal Bublil had a back-heel, no-look goal for the eventual game-winner in the 62nd minute. Mark Donohue added an insurance goal just five minutes later, collecting a long goal kick from senior goalkeeper Tim Washam and putting it over the head of James Madison goalkeeper Kyle Morton. For Washam, it was his first-ever collegiate point and a capper on his eighth shutout of the season.

As usual, the Dragons played stellar defense, keeping the Dukes from getting any significant pressure through to Washam in the first half. Nathan Page had a great look with just under seven minutes to go in the period, but was stymied by Morton. Bringing the ball into the box, Page tiptoed around one defender, then tried to fire a low bullet around another. His shot actually deflected off the left foot of the Dukes' defender, though, changing directions and making a beeline for the near corner of the net. Madison keeper Kyle Morton readjusted to the deflection and made a diving stop to keep the Dragons off the board.

Washam had a big save less than a minute into the second half, one of two he would make in collecting the shutout. After that, the Dragons got perhaps an even better chance in the 57th minute. A feed into the box drew Morton out. He dove to try to wrap the ball up, converging with hard charging Fabio Machado and John Grosh. The oncoming Drexel attackers rattled Morton, who could not clean up the play. Machado got the ball on his foot, but was turned in the wrong direction by that point and was unable to get a shot off as the Madison defense got back and Morton recovered. Moments later, Michele Pataia found himself on a break and just missed the near post, firing a bounding low shot just wide of the goal.

In the 62nd minute, Bublil broke through. Fed into the box, the ball found its way to the head of Ken Tribbett, who sent a header cross over to Jared Girard. Girard, who had yet to record a point as a member of the Dragons, flicked the ball towards Bublil, who had his back turned to the net. A standout defender, Bublil knew what to do with the ball, though, and connected hard with his back left heel, beating Morton to the keeper's right and sending the crowd of 607 and the Drexel squad into a frenzy.

Just minutes later, the Dragons got another. Washam sent a booming goal kick in nearly all the way to the box, where Donohue found himself all alone about 30 yards out from the net. Settling the ball, he turned and drove a knuckler that rose over the head of Morton and dipped before bouncing over the goal line and into the net to give the Dragons a 2-0 lead.

That would hold, as Madison could not get another shot on goal the rest of the way.

For the Dragons, the win cemented their first-ever outright regular season CAA title. They had shared the crown with UNCW in 2007. Drexel will now host the semifinals and final of the CAA Tournament, the first time they have done so and the first time in the history of the CAA that the league has held its men's soccer tournament north of Washington, D.C.

The Dragons will return to action in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament next Friday, November 9. A chain reaction following delays this week caused by Hurricane Sandy forced the league to push its semifinals and final back a day each, from the originally scheduled November 8 and 10. Drexel, the No. 1 seed, will host the winner of Monday's first-round match between No. 4 Hofstra and No. 5 George Mason. Rounding out the tournament field will be second-seeded Northeastern, No. 3 James Madison and No. 6 UNCW.