GPC Jaguar Men's Soccer: News
November 22, 2009 Déjà vu: GPC finishes second in nation
Penalty kick nightmares may haunt Marc Zagara and Nigel Lake.
Tyler College of Texas won the National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1 men’s soccer title with a victory over Georgia Perimeter College in a match decided by penalty kicks.
After regulation play and two 10-minute overtimes produced a scoreless tie, the Apaches made all five of their penalty kicks while the Jaguars made three of four. Freshman defender Martin Seiler nailed the deciding kick for Tyler.
The Jaguars (22-2) were making their sixth straight trip to the nationals, held this year in West Windsor, N.J. They won the championship in 2005 and now have three second-place finishes—2004, 2007 and 2009.
Sunday’s penalty-kick loss to Tyler (21-0) was déjà vu for Zagara, head coach of the Jaguars, and Nigel Lake, who played in the 2007 national championship game.
The Jaguars lost that game on penalty kicks, and Lake converted a penalty kick in that shootout.
This marks the fifth of six shootouts the Jaguars have lost at the national tournament.
Ninety minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods failed to produce a winner even though GPC had several good opportunities—and a couple of golden ones. The Jaguars launched 11 shots, seven of which were shots on goal.
“We had good chances. We just couldn’t finish it,” Zagara said.
GPC failed to score despite playing the final 8:49 of regulation and through the two 10-minute overtimes with a one-man advantage after Tyler midfielder Harry Machacha received his second yellow card, producing an automatic red card.
Fortunately, Georgia Perimeter’s defense was very stubborn in denying the Apaches access to scoring position and kept the Jaguars in the game. Tyler took only five shots on goal and got off two other shots.
GPC dominated the entire first half—and most of the second—keeping the ball mostly in their offensive end of the field. Early in the game the Jaguars muffed a two-on-one breakaway. A few minutes later a good opportunity sailed over the cross bar. Then a ball missed the left post by two feet.
But their biggest disappointment was to play more than 28 minutes, including the overtimes, with a man advantage and not win the game. It was a tribute to Tyler’s clinging defense.
Tyler revived its offensive attack in the second half, keeping control of the ball from the 62nd minute until the 72nd, when GPC finally kept the ball across the half line for more than a few seconds.
“They are a very good team—very disciplined,” Zagara said. “I think we are a better team, but we couldn’t convert the opportunities.”
If the overtimes have not broken a tie, NJCAA rules give each team five penalty shots. The Jaguars matched Tyler on the first two shots.
Junior Sandoval buried his shot into the left corner after the Apache’s Kyle Nicholls scored on GPC goalkeeper Jason Andrew. Then Dom Dwyer converted to give Tyler a 2-1 lead.
Alejandro Duque stepped up and repeated his move from Friday’s semifinal penalty kick victory over Schoolcraft College. He gently poked it into the left side after Tyler goalkeeper Juan Robles had committed to the right.
After Andy Brooks booted one in for Tyler, Rury Alvarez slammed it to the left, but Robles made a diving block to preserve the Apaches’ 3-2 advantage.
Defender Shaunovan Wilson converted to make it 4-2. That put the pressure on freshman midfielder Davian Davis—if he missed, the game was over.
Davis nailed the ball into the upper left corner, cutting the lead to 4-3.
That left one last chance for GPC. If Seiler missed, the Jaguars would have a final shot to tie it. But Seiler rose to the occasion and ended the day’s high drama, driving his penalty kick past Andrew into the upper right corner of the net.
Andrew and Alvarez were named to the All-Tournament team
