East Carolina University
SMU
Men's Soccer Falls To No. 9 SMU, 7-0
October 28, 2005 | Men's Soccer
Oct. 28, 2005
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GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina men's soccer team dropped its sixth match in Conference USA play Friday afternoon falling to nationally-ranked SMU, 7-0, at Bunting Field.
The Pirates (0-12-1, 0-6) fell behind early in the match when Dario Saintus scored the first of two goals on the afternoon in the 11th minute of play. Saintus received a pass from Kellan Zindel and found an open net for the games first goal. SMU would net five goals in the first period of play.
Two minutes later the tandem of Zindel and Saintus struck again as SMU's (10-4-2, 8-0) Zindel fed a perfectly placed ball atop the box where Saintus was there to score.
Zindel got into the scoring action as he netted a pair of goals, his second and third of the season in the game, when his shot from 15 yards out ricocheted of a Pirate defender and found the back of the net for a 3-0 lead.
ECU had a couple of opportunities to score when Matt Kowaleski narrowly missed a goal in the 20th minute. Kowaleski, who received a pass from Mike Crowley, dribbled through traffic and fired one of two shots on the day from 20 yards out. But SMU's keeper, Matt Wideman, was able to make a diving save to help secure the shutout.
SMU would get goals in the 27th and 36th minute of play, closing out the first half with a 5-0 lead.
In the second half, the Pirates were able to get off just two shots on goal, while SMU rattled off 15 shots and scoring twice.
With the win, SMU claimed its first C-USA regular season title and will host the 2005 Conference USA Tournament starting Nov. 9.
The Pirates will be back in action on Sunday, Oct. 30 at 12 noon when they host Tulsa on Senior Day, before heading to Florida next weekend to play UCF and Florida International.
