District of Columbia Settles for Scoreless Tie in Defensive Struggle With Chestnut Hill

SHIPPENSBURG, PA – Freshman goalkeeper Omar Gonzalez made a spectacular save with just two minutes left in the second overtime session to preserve a shutout as the University of the District of Columbia men's soccer team settled for a 0-0 tie against Chestnut Hill College in their final game of the Shippensburg Tournament on Sunday afternoon.

The Firebirds (1-0-1) combined to take 19 shots and put 12 on goal, but Griffin goalkeeper David Sullivan was up to the task, making 11 saves. Bakary Coulibaly (Hyattsville, MD – La Lumiere HS) was the game's most active offensive player with four shots (two on goal).

"We are a little disappointed as we had the better scoring chances throughout the game, and we didn't capitalize," head coach Matt Thompson said. "We feel we certainly did enough to win the game – it just didn't go our way this time."

Freshmen Elio Hernandez (Silver Spring, MD – Northwest HS) and Moussa Traore (Silver Spring, MD – John F. Kennedy HS) and sophomore Ben Diaz (Silver Spring, MD – Northwood HS) also took three shots apiece for District of Columbia, who out-shot CHC, 18-14 in regulation.

A very humid, overcast night at David Lee Field in Shippensburg, PA, fatigue set in at the end of regulation as neither team registered a shot in the first 10-minute overtime session. In the second overtime session, the Griffins applied the pressure with three corner kicks and three shots – one from point blank range that Gonzalez stopped and another that hit the crossbar.

The Firebirds, who defeated CHC 3-2 in double-overtime last season, are now 2-0-5 in double-overtime games in the Thompson era.

District of Columbia, by virtue of its four-goal victory on Friday, was declared the winner of the Shippensburg Tournament based on goal difference.

The Firebirds return to action on Wednesday, September 5^th at 4 p.m. as they host Shippensburg University for their 2012 season home opener.