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University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
at St. Bonaventure*
UMass downs St. Bonaventure, 1-0
November 06, 2005 | Men's Soccer
Nov. 6, 2005
St. Bonaventure, N.Y.
UMass (8-9-2, 4-3-2 A-10) finished the season on a roll and earned themselves a spot in the Atlantic 10 Tournament after a 1-0 victory today over the St. Bonaventure Bonnies (4-11-3, 3-5-1 A-10). The Minutemen will head to St. Louis next weekend where they will square off against the Rhode Island Rams in the first round of the playoffs. The only score of the game came in the 11th minute when Senior Ernie Billitier sent a cross pass near the St. Bonaventure net. While trying to break up the pass, a St. Bonaventure defender kicked the ball off the post and into the Bonnies' net.
St. Bonaventure fought until the end and almost tied the game with less than two minutes remaining in regulation. After Sophomore Jon Lopez hit the crossbar with a shot, Goalkeeper Zach Simmons scooped up the ball and averted disaster.
The game was fairly even with UMass taking twelve shots to St. Bonaventure's fourteern. Zach Simmons made 5 saves while St. Bonaventure Goalkeeper Jonathan Blanchard also made five saves.
Also of note, the game was delayed twice by thunderstorms and strong winds.
The Minutemen beat out Temple, who was also 4-3-2 in A-10 play, via a tiebreaker to punch their ticket for postseason play. Next week's Atlantic 10 Tournament game will be the Minutemen's first postseason appearance since the 2002 season, when they won the A-10 regular season championship but fell to George Washington in overtime 4-3. Only Seniors Oral Bullen and Ernie Billittier remain from that 2002 playoff team.
