THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, November 7, 1994 TAG: 9411070185
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM STEADMAN, LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: GREENSBORO LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
Bethany College, riding a second straight day of red-hot goalkeeping from Gambian import Malleh Sallah, scored the game's only goal midway through a second overtime period Sunday, beating favored Virginia Wesleyan, 1-0, to move into the NCAA Division III men's soccer quarterfinals.
Wesleyan, which entered the game with an 18-1-1 record, spent most of the afternoon in control of the ball, pounding Sallah with 31 shots. But the flamboyant senior, wearing a goalie shirt emblazoned with a big red star, lived up to his fashion statement by making save after acrobatic save to frustrate the Wesleyan attack.
Meanwhile, Bethany managed only 5 shots through 90 minutes of regulation play and two 15-minute overtimes. But junior midfielder Pat Ricci made the last one count, one-timing a header from teammate Frankie Taal into a looping shot that found the right corner of the Wesleyan goal with 6:22 left in the second overtime.
``In lots of ways, Virginia Wesleyan probably had the better of the game,'' admitted Bethany coach John Cunningham, whose West Virginia-based Bison raised their record to 15-5-1.
``It could have gone either way. I think the difference in this game was our goalkeeper.''
Wesleyan coach Sonny Travis was dejected after the loss. ``We certainly had our chances today,'' he said.
``When you get this far, you need a little luck, and we didn't have it today.''
The Bison play in the Division III quarterfinals next week, against West region winner UC-San Diego (13-6-1). UCSD defeated Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.), 2-0, Sunday in La Jolla, Calif. by CNB