SLU Outlasts Cincinnati 3-2 in Fourth OT; Billikens Advance to C-USA Championship Match
6.21.2000
SLU Outlasts Cincinnati 3-2 in Fourth OT; Billikens Advance to C-USA Championship Match
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. Saint Louis University needed four overtime periods to dispatch with Cincinnati in semifinal action in the Conference USA Championship. Senior midfielder Jeff DiMaria tallied the opening two goals for the Billikens and assisted on Jack Jewsbury's game winner at 136:55.
The Billikens started slowly, giving up a goal in the first two minutes of the game. SLU finally settled down when DiMaria tallied the first of his two goals. Dominic DaPra lifted a ball from just across midfield on a restart to DiMaria who was open on the right side. UC goalkeeper Jake Witkowski came out to make the stop, but DiMaria beat him with the angle into the lower left corner.
The second half was played predominantly in the Billikens' end of the field. DiMaria scored again, this time assisted by Nick Bokern. Bokern's initial shot was blocked and DiMaria was there to clean up the rebound. The defense was solid throughout the half until Cincinnati's speedy Myron Vaughn got loose to record his second goal of the night.
The first three overtime periods were marked by safe play by both teams as neither wanted to give up an unearned score in the sudden death periods. The height of the stretch came in the third overtime when SLU committed a foul on Vaughn in the box. The Bearcats stepped up to face SLU keeper Paul Nagy who had only made three saves thus far in the game. All eyes and hopes were focused on the penalty area as Nagy made possibly the biggest save of the season.
Less than two minutes into the final OT, DiMaria took a ball just in the Billikens attacking third and fed it to Jason Mims on the left side. Mims passed across to Jewsbury who struck quickly from 12 yards out.
"After something of a lackluster first half, I thought we really came out hard in the second period," head coach Bob Warming said. "Paul Nagy was outstanding in stopping them on a PK in the third overtime. He really stepped up under that kind of pressure to make probably the biggest save of our season. In the last overtime we finally got two good looks and were able to deliver a goal on the last one."
The Billikens move on to the championship match Sun., Nov. 14 against either UAB or South Florida. Game time is 1:00 CST.
FINAL SCORE SAINT LOUIS-3, CINCINNATI-2, 4OT
UC ? 1:40 Vaughn (unassisted) Shots: SLU-18, UC - 15
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