09/15/2007
Men's Soccer Plays to Third Straight Double-Overtime Tie; NEWMAC Opener Ends in 0-0 Stalemate against MIT

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - A hard-fought match between conference foes MIT and Clark University ended in a 0-0 tie on Saturday afternoon at Steinbrenner Stadium, as each team opened its New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference schedule with a well deserved point. The scoreless draw is the first such result for the Engineers since 1996, when they had two in one season against both Gordon College and Babson College.

The tie preserves the Cardinal and Gray’s perfect start to the campaign, as its record now stands at 3-0-1 overall and 0-0-1 in the NEWMAC. Clark, which has played to three straight stalemates, is 1-1-3 overall and 0-0-1 in the conference.

"We started well playing on their half of the field for the first 45 minutes of the game," said head coach David Kulik. "In the second half, we didn’t produce what we created in the first, but overall our possession was very good. We controlled the tempo from start to finish."

Both teams had difficulty creating scoring opportunities throughout the match, as gusting winds and occasional showers made for unfavorable weather conditions. They also contributed to a high foul count, as MIT committed 30 to Clark’s 21.

Clark forward Jenner Alpern came closest to scoring in regulation, as the junior’s 22nd minute shot was cleared off of the line by an MIT defender after sophomore Andrew Ninnemman had rounded Tech keeper Tom Caldwell. Engineers’ forward Chase Lochmiller provided the Cardinal and Gray’s best scoring chance with a 25-yard drive midway through the second half that forced a save out of Clark net-minder Peter Wise.

The visitors had a golden opportunity to secure victory 2:35 into the game’s first overtime session, but Cougar freshman Kyle Klapp was unlucky to see his driven penalty ricochet off the outside of the right post.

"It was unfortunate to not come away with a better result," said Kulik. "But with the hopes that Dav (Blum) and Joe (Silva) will be back within the next week, we feel very confident moving forward."

Caldwell finished with four saves to earn his second shutout of the season and seventh of his career. Wise was forced to stop just one shot for his first shutout of the campaign.

MIT will return to the field on Wednesday, Sept. 19, when it will pay a visit to Wentworth Institute of Technology at 7:00 p.m. Clark also returns to action on Sept. 19, when it will host Lasell College in a match that is slated for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff.

(Courtesy of MIT Sports Information)