LAURINBURG, N.C.—Senior goalkeeper William Williams (Denver, Colo.) capped his collegiate career with a career-high 10 saves and his first offensive point of the season in a 1-1 double overtime tie against Conference Carolinas rival Pfeiffer University on Saturday afternoon.
The Knights record their first tie in over two years, finishing the season with 1-15-1 overall and 0-8-1 conference records. The last tie for St. Andrews came on September 24, 2008 against UNC Pembroke.
The Falcons enter the 2010 Conference Carolinas Tournament with 4-7-4 overall and 4-3-2 league ledgers. Pfeiffer secured the fifth seed in the eight-team tourney with the tie and will visit No. 4 seed Belmont Abbey College on Tuesday at 2 PM.
Other Conference Carolinas Tournament quarterfinal pairings include top-seeded Lees-McRae College hosting No. 8 Queens University of Charlotte; No 2 seed Erskine College entertaining Barton College; and No. 3 Limestone College hosting No. 6 Coker College.
SAPC sophomore Kyle Dela Merced (Columbia, S.C.) started the scoring in the 23rd minute, heading in the go-ahead tally off a Williams clearance punt. After Williams launched the ball over the Falcons defense, Dela Merced was able to head the ball over Falcons senior goalie Alex Moreno (Huntersville, N.C.) off the first bounce for his third goal of the season.
Williams notched his second offensive point in a Royal Blue and White uniform with an assist on the play. Williams also registering a personal best 10 saves for the third time in his collegiate career.
The Knights maintained a one-goal advantage through halftime until a foul call inside the SAPC box provided Pfeiffer with a penalty kick in the 47th minute. Sophomore Fahret Salihovic (Charlotte, N.C.) calmly scored the equalizer to the left side of the goal as Williams guessed wrong by diving in the opposite direction. Salihovic leads Pfeiffer with four goals on the year.
The Falcons looked poised to complete the comeback when Knights’ senior Chris Weedon (San Angelo, Texas) was red carded in the 54th minute putting the hosts down a player but St. Andrews never slowed down. The Knights took eight of the next 11 shots to build a 16-10 shot advantage through 83 minutes of play. The outburst was capped by a junior Patrick Stewart (Crawfordville, Fla.) attempt that went off the cross bar.
Pfeiffer survived the flurry before taking the final four shots of regulation and then dominated the two 10-minute overtime periods (7-2) to finish with a 21-18 shot edge. Williams kept the scoreboard deadlocked with five of his 10 saves in the final 22 minutes.
The Falcons were awarded more corners, 8-7, but they were flagged offsides 10 times compared to only once by SAPC. Knights’ senior Marbin Escobar (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Pfeiffer sophomore Ethan Sacco (Concord, N.C.) led their respective squad’s with four shots apiece.
Moreno had three saves over 110 minutes of work.
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