Nov. 10, 2007

Box Score

BALTIMORE, Md. - The Franklin & Marshall men's soccer team battled back from a 4-0 deficit, scoring three goals in the second half but N.C. Wesleyan was able to fend off the late comeback attempt for a 4-3 victory in the first round of the NCAA men's soccer championships on Saturday night at Johns Hopkins.

The Bishops (17-1) scored all four goals in the opening half, getting two goals and an assist from Alimamy Kargbo, to advance to the second round where they will face Johns Hopkins, the 1-0 overtime winners of the other first-round game against DeSales.

Ryan McGonigle scored twice for the Diplomats (15-4) and Matt McCall added a goal, while Brandon Corday dished out two assists in the final 16:28 of the game.

Down 4-0 at the half, Franklin & Marshall fought back and got its first goal off a penalty kick by McGonigle at the 73:32 mark. Never giving up, the Diplomats cut the gap to 4-2 when McGonigle scored on a header on Corday's direct kick from the flank in the 85th minute.

F&M followed the philosophy "strike while the iron is hot" and one minute, 28 seconds later, McCall found the back of the net on an unselfish pass from Corday 10-yards from the goal to make it 4-3. The Diplomats could not get the equalizer in the final 4:11 of the game.

N.C. Wesleyan took an early 1-0 lead in the seventh minute after Kargbo finished a 1-v-1 opportunity off a through ball from Danny Jones.

Kargbo collected his second goal on another quick break and chipped the ball over challenging Zack Zamek.

Kevin Lue and Jones pushed the lead to 4-0 with a goal apiece over a three-minute span. Marco Kirsch crossed a ball from the right side that slipped through a defender to find Lue to make it 3-0.

In the 42nd minute, Kargbo had a shot blocked, got the deflection and sent the ball back in for the one-touch shot by Jones from the middle of the box to take a 4-0 lead into the locker rooms.

Zamek ended with four saves, while Alberto Faisca made two for the Bishops.