Jerry Reilly/Fredonia SID
Tyler Williams, shown dribble around defenders in a 2010 game, scored the game-winning goal Sept. 1, 2011, against St. John Fisher at Rochester, N.Y.
By: JERRY REILLY, Sports Information Director
BOXSCORE ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Tyler Wiliams scored on a penalty kick with four seconds remaining to give Fredonia State a season-opening 1-0 victory over St. John Fisher at the 2011 Flower City Soccer Tournament.
Williams was given the opportunity to shoot after
David Thoin, following a tangle a St. John Fisher player, was taken down in the box. The officials gave the Fisher player a second yellow card, resulting in a red card, and awarded the penalty kick.
Williams drove the kick inside the right post. On the ensuing kickoff, Fisher's Jake Backscheiner drove the ball from midfield to goal at the final buzzer where it was saved by Fredonia State freshman goalkeeper A.J. Grecco.
Playing his first collegiate game, Grecco earned the victory and the shutout for the Blue Devils. He made six saves.
The Blue Devils had the best of the chances in the first half and outshot the Cardinals overall, 14-10.
In the 11th minute, Fisher goalkeeper Ky
le Metcalfe sprawled to his right to push a right-wing blast from Cory Paine wide of left post for corner. Thoin, in the 26th minute, headed a long right-wing cross off the right upright from the left edge of the box.
Grecco was equal to the task in the 29th minute when he turned aside a shot by
Backscheider. A free kick by Fisher's Sean Fishel in the 31st minute was also stopped by Grecco.
In the second half, Paine cut down the right win and centered the ball for Matt Schroen, but Fisher's Backscheider retreated and cleared just ahead of Schroen in the 53rd minute.
Fishel had the next two chances -- in the 62nd minute and again one minute later. His first was a corner kick from the right that dipped toward the back post before Grecco palmed it out. The second was a long header from the left side of the box. It hit the cross bar and the rebound was deflected over the bar.
Grecco made his final big save in the 84th minute when he stopped by long blast from the right wing by Fisher's Alex Stryker.
In the 86th minute, Fredonia State's Barry Hunt got through and hit a rocket from 10 yards away that Metcalfe punched wide to the right before his defense moved in to clear the ball.
Metcalfe also finished with six saves, and each team took six corner kicks.
It was the first game by any Fredonia State team in the 2011-12 academic year. By the end of the weekend, the remaining fall teams -- women's soccer, women's tennis, women's volleyball, and men's and women's cross country -- will have opened their seasons.
Meanwhile, the men's soccer team returns to action when it faces the University of Rochester at 7 p.m. Saturday. The Yellowjackets also opened their season Thursday when they faced Calvin (Mich.) at 7 p.m. Results of that game are available at the
U of R athletics website.
