League

Khachatryan Center
Spectators: 10788 (Terracing: 8092, Seating: 2481, VIP seats: 215) The sun was shining, the grass was green and the audience cheered when Merlin Castro got the match started through his kick off. Merlin Castro received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 3rd minute. Drew Casey tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. With a little luck, University of Rochester's Drew Casey got control of the ball when Bernardo Caballero tried to sneak it across the goal line. 19 minutes into the match, University of Rochester's Dale Kirkpatrick sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Jermaine Richmond narrowly saved just below the crossbar. A collision led to Khachatryan getting a freekick after 22 minutes play. Marquis Kenny hit a great ball. Merlin Castro's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Drew Casey read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 23rd minute of play. When Dale Kirkpatrick came up free with the goalie in the 26th minute, the University of Rochester fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Dale Kirkpatrick couldn't finish the play. 31 minutes into the match, University of Rochester's goalkeeper Drew Casey had to clear away a ball on his right side after a cunning shot by Merlin Castro. Khachatryan's attacker deliberately struck the ball against an opponent to win a corner for his team. The corner was taken by Merlin Castro in the 32nd minute. After having played for 35 minutes, Dale Kirkpatrick managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. University of Rochester's supporters crossed their fingers, but Dale Kirkpatrick was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. University of Rochester's Drew Casey proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 38th minute of the match, managed to save University of Rochester from getting a goal against them. Merlin Castro scored 1-0 in the 40th match minute with a shot that went into the goal to the right of Drew Casey, who was just a little too slow in reacting to the shot. Bernardo Caballero's shot straight on target was not completely harmless. The ball had pretty good speed, but Drew Casey firmly grabbed it by the left post. No-one was surprised that the home team were leading 1-0 at half-time.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Dale Kirkpatrick to make the kick off. After 53 minutes, Antoine Schaefer mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Khachatryan and the University of Rochester players grew even worse after the yellow card. In the 56th minute Tigran Kirakosyan shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Drew Casey saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. 66 minutes into the match, Dale Kirkpatrick dribbled the ball past the defender and swiftly kicked the ball to the left of Jermaine Richmond, 1-1. Drew Casey showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Merlin Castro in the 70th minute of the match. Dale Kirkpatrick could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 73rd minute of the match, but Jermaine Richmond made a huge save. Drew Casey made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Albert Paulíny in the 74th minute of play. Antoine Schaefer made in the 77th minute of the game a quick throw-in and Albert Paulíny immediately put the ball in play. In the 79th minute, Ture Skark hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Albert Paulíny might have been able to make a better finish in the 81st minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Drew Casey. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Albert Paulíny ran back to his position shaking his head. Drew Casey made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Merlin Castro in the 83rd minute of play. Thanks to some nice foot action and superb ball handling Sung McKinley in the 90th minute a chance for a shot on goal. With an extended leg and a bit of luck Drew Casey prevented the ball from getting in the gole. Khachatryan were unable to convert their possession into goals, allowing University of Rochester to leave the ground with a draw.