UMBC

Baltimore, Md.—Tournament Most Valuable Player Patrick Nyarko scored twice and assisted on the game-winning goal as 25^th-ranked Virginia Tech (2-0) edged UMBC, 3-2, to capture the 2006 adidas Kick Off Classic at UMBC Soccer Stadium. In today’s first game, Navy defeated St. Joseph’s, 3-1.

The Retrievers stunned the Hokies early in the contest, when senior forward David Feazell’s (Fallson) corner kick hit the far post and trickled across the goal line just 4:03 into the contest. But Nyarko, a sophomore forward from Ghana, entered the game midway through the half and made his presence known instantly. After a UMBC offensive foul, he took a long lead pass, beat several UMBC defenders coming out of the corner and scored from eight yards out to tie the game in the 28^th minute. Just 69 seconds after his first goal, Nyarko took advantage as two Retriever defenders attempted to play the ball and the resulting miscue gave the Hokie forward a breakaway. He beat UMBC netminder Steve King from 12 yards out and Tech would take a 2-1 lead into intermission.

But UMBC fought gamely and tied the contest at 2-all in the 51^st minute. Feazell laid off a ball to a charging Dan Bulls and the sophomore midfielder rifled a shot under a diving Drew Czekanski for his first career score. But Nyarko got the lead back for good as he beat King to a ball at the right edge of the box, delayed and then found  Eric Vickers in front and the senior midfielder volleyed the ball home from eight yards away.

UMBC threatened down the stretch, as they outshot their guests, 7-5, in the second half and 11-10 for the contest. Senior midfielder Kevin Mezzadra’s direct kick from 21 yards out went just wide of the right post in the 88^th minute.

In the opener, Navy built a 2-0 lead and scored with 50 seconds left to trip up St. Joseph’s, 3-1. Senior forward McKenzie Plank scored just 5:10 into the game and freshman linemate Andrew Garcia doubled the advantage, converting Plank’s short cross, in the 35^th minute. But St. Joseph  sophomore midfielder Michael McInaw got a head on a long free kick by classmate Nick Pozzessere and cut the Navy lead in half just 17 seconds after Garcia’s strike. The teams battled through an even second half and a pressing Hawk team was burned on a Midshipment two-on-one break and junior forward Travis King knocked in Carter Stapleton’s pass at the 89:10 mark.

In addition to Nyarko’s honor, Hokies Brent Dillie, Ben Nason, Marcus Reed and Vickers earned All Tournament team honors. Feazell, who tallied three goals and an assist in the tournament, and Mezzadra, who scored twice vs. St. Joseph’s earned the honors for UMBC, along with defenders Bobby Woods and L.J. Pijnenburg.