Daniel Webster College Department of Athletics
Contact: Ken Belbin, Assistant Director of Athletics
Sports Information
(C): 603-234-8349
(FX): 603-577-6597
Belbin_Ken@dwc.edu

For Immediate Release
November 8, 2009

Nashua – Rookie Joel Jerrhag’s (Ystad, Sweden) redirected header off an Alex Jackson (Kent, Ohio) free kick with just 50 seconds remaining in overtime delivered the Daniel Webster College men’s soccer team its first ever conference championship as the top-seeded Eagles upended second-seeded Lesley University 2-1 Sunday before nearly 350 sun-splashed patrons at Eagle Field for the New England Collegiate Conference title.

The championship was the second in less than 24 hours for the College’s athletics program with both coming on campus. The Eagle’s women’s volleyball team toppled Newbury in the NECC championship on Saturday.

The Eagles jumped ahead in the 22nd minute when Ryan Kunker (Clifton Park, N.Y.) popped home an Andre Garcia (Springfield, Mass.) touch pass during a scrum in the front of the Lynx goalmouth and the Eagles held a 1-0 advantage at the break.

Lesley tied it just 26 seconds into the half when Tyler Reeves (Coventry, Conn.) alertly jumped on a ball that was sent in long on Eagle keeper Joe Keene (Bristol, N.H.). The ball popped loose and Reeves buried a quick strike to the far left corner to give the Lynx new life.

Lesley pressed throughout much of the second half and almost took the lead with 39 minutes left as Ari Sinanis roped a 20 yarder straight on that hit the top cross bar and followed with another rifle that just cleared the bar with seven minutes to go.

The Eagles also had their chances in regulation as Nick Klesh (Bedford, N.H.) saw two opportunities off cross passes just go wide with six minutes and later four minutes left before the extra session.

Keene sparkled again for the Eagles, making nine saves on the day after posting seven in the NECC semifinals. Zach Almeida-Beers (Rehoboth, Mass.) made six saves for the Lynx.

The Eagles, who now await word on a possible at-large ECAC New England Championship tournament bid, continued their best overall season in history as they improved to 12-5 overall.

Lesley, in its fourth season as a varsity program, moved to 15-4-2 overall having improved dramatically from a 6-13-1 mark last year.

Daniel Webster midfielder and junior Samson Kiberu (Waltham, Mass.) earned tournament most valuable player honors for his strong play throughout the Eagles semifinal and championship victories.

The all tournament team also included Spencer Bernard (Windsor Locks, Conn.), Kunker, and Jackson for Daniel Webster, Sinanis, Almeida-Beers, Zach Rocha (New Bedford, Mass.) and Scott Wheeler (E, Hampton, Conn.) from Lesley, Joseph Lawer and Shaundize Moosavizadeh from Newbury College, and Nick Haggerty and Ben Naaktgeboren from Mitchell College.