-Photo contributed by Ryan C. Harris
Troy Childress
Reporter
November 4, 2005
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Senior Stuart Makinson takes on Covenant College’s
Alec Waller in Saturday night’s AAC Conference Tournament. -Photo contributed by Ryan C. Harris |
The fourth seeded Milligan men’s soccer team defeated Covenant College 1-0 on Saturday, advancing of the Buffs in the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament. The victory improves the Buffs’ overall record to 10-8-1 and moves them into a second-round match against King College.
“The game went well,” said coach Dave Dixon. “We played as well as we have all
season at times in the first half.”
The only goal Milligan needed came at the midpoint of the first half when
sophomore Josh Stephens took the pass from David Lilly 30 yards out and dropped
it in over the goalie’s hands.
“Josh Stephens scored a great goal on a great build-up,” said Dixon.
“They gave me some space, I took a touch forward and hit exactly how I wanted
to,” said Stephens. “The keeper almost saved it, but it snuck by him into the
right top corner.”
The rest of the game was in junior Jordan Fode’s hands. Fode recorded four saves
in the game, including a wide-open shot to preserve the lead.
“Covenant crossed the ball into our box to a wide-open player,” said Fode. “His
first touch pushed the ball just a bit too far in front of him, and I was able
to quickly jump onto the ball.”
Fode credits “a good defensive effort” to his ability to record his saves.
Dixon was “very pleased with the way that we defended throughout the game.”
Milligan takes on No. 1King College today in Bristol. This is a rematch of last
year’s playoff match that the Buffs won in a triple overtime shootout. Both Fode
and sophomore Kofi Frimpong played big roles in that victory.
In last year’s shootout, Fode blocked the last King player’s shot. He says his
previous performance is a huge confidence builder going into the rematch.
“It definitely gives us the edge, I think,” said Fode. “Milligan always seems to
show up when we play King.”
In the exhausting shootout Frimpong, then a freshman, was able to fake out
King’s goalie and score the winning goal.
“I think making the last goal should be something that we should give credit to
the coaches and players for, especially the upperclassmen,” said Frimpong. “Not
many people will let a freshman take a penalty kick when a team’s playoff life
is on the line.”
“The game versus King is going to be a battle,” said Dixon. “We are playing for
our playoff lives so I fully expect us to go after them.”