LORETTO, Pa. (Aug. 25, 2012) – The Saint Francis University men's soccer team opened the regular season with a 0-0 double overtime draw against Loyola (Md.) Saturday afternoon at the Stokes Soccerplex.
 
“Loyola is a very good team and I thought it was an interesting game where there were chances from both teams,” head coach Michael Casper said. “Both teams probably could have won but I think a 0-0 tie at the end of the day is a fair result and we'll move forward from here.”
 
As the contest got underway, the Red Flash (0-0-1) held control of the ball for much of the opening, registering the game's first shot nearly 10 minutes in. The Greyhounds (0-0-1) were not able to get a shot off until 25 minutes had gone by. Despite the slow start, Loyola managed to outshoot the Flash 6-3 in the first half.
 
Perhaps the best scoring chance for Saint Francis came from senior forward Wayne Tiller (Magnolia, Del./Caesar Rodney) halfway through period two. Tiller, streaking down the right side, made a cut towards the box creating space between him and a Loyola defender. The speedy Tiller took a hard shot that rose above the keeper's reach, connected with the crossbar and bounced straight down into the ground out of harm's way.
 
The Greyhounds also had a run in with the crossbar as the seconds ticked away in the second overtime period. With under a minute remaining, Loyola's Connor Thompson fired a shot from just beyond the 18-yard box off a set piece that caught the top of the crossbar and was cleared out.
 
“One of the things that we want to do is control tempo and control the pace of play,” Casper said. “Loyola was able to do a good job with the style that they play in putting us under a lot of pressure, which didn't allow us to dictate the pace of the game.”
 
As far as final stat numbers are concerned, the Greyhounds finished with the better tally in shots, besting SFU 15-10, and corner kicks, 9-5.

Senior Daniel Valcicak (Herndon, Va./Gonzaga College) got the call as SFU's starting keeper against Loyola and made the most of his opportunity. Valcicak looked strong in between the pipes, making five key stops on the day to pick up his first shutout of the season.
 
Saint Francis returns to action when they face Cincinnati for an inaugural matchup with the Bearcats Aug. 30 at 7 p.m.