OAKDALE, N.Y. – Unbeaten Dowling College scored two second-half goals to defeat East Stroudsburg University, 2-0, in the first round of the NCAA Division II Soccer Tournament Sunday.

The Lions, now 14-0-3 and ranked third in the nation, will play Southern Connecticut in a quarter-final round tournament game Saturday or Sunday at a site to be named. Southern Connecticut beat St. Anselm, 1-0, in another first-round contest.

After a scoreless first half, Dowling got on the board with 17 minutes remaining on Leonard Doramodo’s penalty kick after a disputed takedown in the box. The Lions then added an insurance goal with six minutes left as Lauro Maia connected into the left corner after a deflection off ESU goalie Jason Land. Georges Haba was credited with an assist on the play.

Dowling had a big edge in shots, 21-9, and in corner kicks, 8-1. Both goalies, Land and the Lions’ Mervin Shade, made four saves. It was Shade ninth shutout of the season.

"We didn’t play real well, but give Dowling credit, they played an exceptional game – better than I’ve ever seen them play," said ESU Coach Jerry Sheska. "They’ve got the horses and they could go far in the tournament."

Although he didn’t dispute Dowling deserving to win the game, Sheska did wonder what would have happened if the penalty hadn’t been call.

"I didn’t see a penalty," he said. "If they didn’t get the call, we would played down to the wire; maybe then they don’t score that other goal and anything could have happened."

Sheska closed out another outstanding season, his 20th, coaching ESU soccer. The team finished with a 16-5-1 record, won its fifth straight Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title and gained a berth in the NCAA tournament as one of the nation’s top 16 teams for the fifth straight year.

"I can’t say enough about the players on this team; how they came back from losing three early-season games, including two in the conference, and still won the title and made the tourney. They deserve a lot of credit for what they did this season," Sheska.stressed.

ESU and Dowling had met in last year’s first round with the Warriors winning on penalty kicks, 3-2, after the two teams had tied in regulation, 1-1. The Lions won a regular-season meeting over ESU, 3-2, in mid-October.

The Warriors’ only shutout loss this year was also by a 2-0 margin in a season-opening game against St. Rose.

East Stroudsburg 0-0 0

Dowling 0-2 2

Dowling – Leonard Doramodo (penalty kick)

Dowling – Lauro Maia (Georges Haba)

Shots: ESU 9, Dowling 21; Corner Kicks: ESU 1, Dowling 8; Goalie Saves:

ESU – Jason Land 4, Dowling – Mervin Shade 4

Records: ESU 16-5-1, Dowling 14-0-3

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