For the second straight match, Liberty did not allow a goal, as the Flames defeated the Rider Broncs, 4-0, Friday afternoon at Patchin Field in the first game of the Sculley Memorial Tournament.
Liberty put pressure on the Rider net early, as Darren Amoo (R-So., Accra, Ghana) was led into open space by Phillip Aseweh (So., Navrongo, Ghana), ripping the first shot of the contest off Bronc keeper Chris Pimentel in the seventh minute. Midfielder Alex Verville (Rochester Hills, Mich.) followed seconds later with a shot attempt which sailed wide.
Rider got its first shot of the match in the 12th minute. Forward Billy Voutsinas slid a shot toward the right lower corner of the Liberty net, but Flames goalkeeper Andrew Madero (Jr., Tampa, Fla.) made the stop, keeping the game scoreless.
Liberty midfielder Juan Guzman (Sr., Charlotte, N.C.) rocketed a blast from the middle of the field from 25 yards out in the 26th minute, forcing Pimentel to pop the rising shot over the crossbar to keep the contest scoreless.
The Flames continued to have the upper hand in ball possession over the next 11 minutes. During the span, head coach Jeff Alder’s squad fired three shots and had five corner kicks. Despite the offensive spurt, the Flames were kept from netting the contest’s first goal.
Pressing its attack, Liberty broke through for a 1-0 advantage in the 37th minute. Forward Andrew Scheck (Sr., Mt. Juliett, Tenn.) sent a hard shot attempt from the right side of the penalty area, which Pimentel stopped but could not corral. The loose ball came out on the left side of the box to forward Travis Joseph (Fr., Laventille, Trinidad), who picked up the ball in stride and put it into the left side of the net at 36:49. The freshman’s first collegiate goal gave Liberty a 1-0 advantage, which it took to intermission.
The Flames outshot the Broncs, 10-1, during the opening half. Liberty also held a 7-0 advantage in corner kicks.
Rider made the first shot attempt of the period, seven minutes into the second half. Off a free kick, midfielder Nico Tramontana sent a header wide for only the Broncs’ second shot of the contest.
In the 57th minute, Liberty pressed the Rider net again. A shot by Amoo hit the far post and bounced clear.
On their next possession, the Flames extended their lead to 2-0. At 65:42, midfielder Timothy Bullock (So., Forest, Va.) sent a pass across the goal mouth. The pass eluded several defenders, finding its way to Aseweh at the right post. The forward turned and put the ball into the lower, nearside corner of the net for his third goal of the year.
Six minutes later, Amoo scored his fifth goal of the season. The forward took a pass from midfielder Juan Nino (So., Katy, Texas) in the middle of the 18-yard box and beat the Bronc keeper with a shot into the right side of the net for a 3-0 advantage at 71:01.
Continuing their second-half offensive outburst, the Flames cashed in a corner kick in the 82nd minute. Midfielder Chris Phillips (R-So., Brownburg, Ind.) netted his first goal of the year, putting in Thad Taylor’s (Jr., D, Spring, Texas.) pass for the final score of 4-0. Joseph also assisted on the play.
Liberty held a 17-4 advantage in shots in the contest and also had the edge in corner kicks, 9-1.
Madero made one save for the Flames, while Rider keeper Pimentel made five saves, before giving way to Matt Perrella, who had one save, in the 79th minute.
Liberty returns to action on Sunday in the third game of the Sculley Memorial Tournament. The Flames will square off against the St. Francis (N.Y.) Terriers, with match time scheduled for 1 p.m.