PHILADELPHIA, PA - The La Salle University Explorers (7-9-2, 3-5-1 A-10) closed out the 2006 season with a solid win over conference opponents George Washington (5-9-3, 2-5-2 A-10) on Sunday. After both teams scored early in the first half, La Salle closed the door on the game in the first minute of the second period to take the 2-1 victory.
The Explorers made quick work in the opening minutes, as Jim Davis(Pittsgrove, NJ/A.P. Schalick) found the high corner of the GW net in the fourth minute of the game off a pass by Brian Barry (Arnold, MD/Archbishop Spalding). The Colonials answered right back, however, with a tying goal coming from midfielder Greg McKay just five minutes later.
Both teams stayed firm on defense up front, as there were only 15 shots taken total on the day. That strong defense did not deter Davis, however, as he beamed the ball through a crowd of players in the first minute of the second half and took GW goalie Greg Yahr by surprise, going up 2-1 in the 46th minute. From there the Explorers held a firm grasp on the one point lead until the clock ran down, ending their season with a 2-1 win.
Despite the lack of an A-10 postseason, the seniors - who played their final game as Explorers on Sunday - were happy to end with the win. "It was really great to finish on a high note," said senior captain Matt Kelly (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle College HS), "it helps point the young guys in the right direction for next year." Other senior captain Jeff Spiker (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury) was also pleased. "George Washington is usually always a tough opponent, so this was a good win for us for a lot of reasons. We're going to have a very good team next year, even without me and Matt on defense."
Even with the win, Coach Farrell was still sad to see his boys go. "When you have excellent leadership from your seniors on and off the field like we do with Jeff and Matt, it really lays the foundation for a strong team to have real success in the future. We can't thank those guys enough for everything, but we know they'll stay involved in the program. We wish them the best of luck in the future."
