Box Score Watch (RPI TV)

TROY, N.Y. - Freshman Vince Bennett scored on the fifth and final penalty kick and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's soccer team defeated St. Lawrence University, 5-4, in the Liberty League Tournament Semifinals at East Campus Stadium. The game counts as a 2-2 tie in each team's record.

The Engineers, the second seed, advance to play top-seeded Vassar College in the championship game for the right to play in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday afternoon at 1pm. RPI is now 9-5-5, while the Saints, who are ranked 18th in Division III, are 13-2-3.

After both teams were successful on two of their first four penalty kicks, St. Lawrence senior JJ Tipton (Lusby, MD/Calverton School) hit the right post and the ball was smothered by goalkeeper Rob Dewald (Arlington, VA/Washington-Lee). Bennett (Madison, NJ/Madison), a forward who saw limited action in regulation, then calmly scored past Ryan Roethel (Monroe, NY/Monroe Woodbury) for the victory. Roethel did not play during regulation, seeing his only action in the penalty kick session.

Rensselaer sophomore Matt Koziol (Poughkeepsie, NY/F.D. Roosevelt) put the Engineers ahead in the 17th minute when his bicycle kick from eight yards out eluded St. Lawrence goalkeeper Nate Goss-Woliner (Waitfield, VT/Kimball Union). Koziol got his fifth of the season when he timed a Joey Eilert (Wayne, NJ/Wayne) cross from the right side and booted the ball just out of the reach to the goalie's left.

The Saints tied the score when senior Alex Laird (Monroe, NY-Monroe Woodbury) finished a pair of perfectly placed passes in the 76th minute. Senior Brian Gilloran (Guilford, CT/Guilford) started the play with a kick from the left sideline across the box to Ryan Grant (Mississauga, ON/Streetsville Secondary). Grant touched the ball to the middle of the box, where Laird drove it into the goal.

RPI regained the lead in the 81st minute when junior Ryan Gracy (West Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) collected a Zach Fane (Troy, NY/Lansingburgh) pass and beat St. Lawrence keeper Aaron Costello (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs). It took the Saints less than two minutes later to tie the score when JJ Tipton (Lusby, MD/Calverton School) drilled a leftfooted shot to the opposite corner. Dewald got a hand on the shot, but could not prevent it from going by him.

Dewald came up with the biggest save of the night with 3:30 left in the second overtime, stopping Grant at near-point blank range. He finished with five saves in the game, while St. Lawrence's keepers made one save.

The Saints held a 21-8 advantage in shots and a 5-4 edge in corner kicks.