Cavs'No.1defenseprovesbetterthanNo.1offense

by Ron D'Orazio sports editor

In a match that featured the No. 1 defense in the nation for Division III versus the No.I offense in the nation, the Cabrini Cavaliers defeated Eastern 2-1 in overtime.

The teams are both ranked regionally in Division III play.

The Cavs were seeded as the eight team in the Mid-Atlantic Region while Eastern was ranked No. 6.

CABRINI 2 EASTERN 1

Going into the game, the Cavs carried a six game winning streak in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference. After the win, the Cavs moved to 12-1 overall and 6-0 in the PAC.

The Cavs, who hold the top defense in the nation, held off early pressure from the top-ranked offense of Eastern before scoring the first goal.

Senior Paul Donaghy scored on a penalty kick after Eastern was called for a handball in front of their goal.

Sophomore goalie Eric Lukach made two big saves early on to allow the game's score to stay at zero before Cabrini grabbed the lead. Lukach's saves were made from kicks generated directly in front of the goal.

Lukach has been almost unbeatable this season. He has recorded six shutouts in just 13 games.

The Cavs missed an opportunity to increase their lead when they failed to score on a second penalty kick. The missed kick allowed the score to remain 1-0 in Cabrini's favor at halftime.

Eastern came out pressuring the defense, which held on until the seven-minute mark when Eastern cracked the defense for a goal.

The game featured tough defense by both squads as neither team was able to generate many shots on goal.

Eastern displayed their defensive talents while the Cavs had a seven-minute man- advantage after an Eastern player was ejected from the game for arguing a call with the official.

The game, tied at one after regulation, continued its pace into overtime until the Cavs received a goal from sophomore forward John Amerman at the 95-minute mark in the game to win the contest. Amerman received a pass from senior Matt Kaiser after Eastern turned the ball over.

The win over Eastern has punctuated an already successful season.

Following the victory, the Cavs moved up into the sixth spot in the region. Eastern dropped to the ninth spot after their loss to Cabrini.