Fitchburg State Draws Even With Babson, 0-0 (2OT)
| Final | 1 | 2 | OT | OT2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Babson (2-2-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Fitchburg St. (1-2-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Al-Zaibak turns away 12 shots for the Falcons in 0-0 double overtime stalemate
FITCHBURG, Mass. – Fitchburg State and Babson played to a 0-0 double overtime draw in non-conference men's action this evening at Elliot Field in a hard fought defensive battle.
Fitchburg State junior goalkeeper Alex Al-Zaibak finished the draw with a season-high 12 saves to halt Babson's offensive attack while on the opposing end fellow-junior James Takami was challenged just twice, as he stopped both shots he faced in 110 minutes of action.
In the opening half of play, Babson nearly opened the scoring with 2:40 left in the stanza as junior midfielder Alex Crompton fired shot on frame, but Al-Zaibak rose to the challenge, diving to his left to keep 0-0 stalemate intact, going into the break.
Following intermission, the Beavers continued the offensive pressure as senior forward Adam Villari booted a shot from the top of the scoring area, but Al-Zaibak was able to deflect the ball over the cross bar to preserve the 0-0 draw.
Fitchburg State's best scoring chance of the second frame occurred at the 54:48 mark when sophomore midfielder Marckdonard Bastien fired a shot from the right side, but Takami was able to corral the shot to send the game into overtime with score locked at 0-0.
After a scoreless first overtime period, Babson looked to secure the victory as sophomore midfielder Noah Parker crossed a ball over to junior Pat O'Rouke off a corner kick, only to have his shot cleared off the goal line by a Falcon defender, resulting in the 0-0 double overtime draw.
Throughout the contest, Babson held a commanding 30-6 advantage in shots, while also holding an 18-2 margin in corner kicks.
Fitchburg State (1-2-1, 0-0-0 MASCAC) opens MASCAC action on Saturday as it travels to Framingham State for a contest starting at 12:00 p.m. Babson (2-2-1, 0-0-0 NEWMAC) will also enter conference play when it hosts NEWMAC rival Coast Guard on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
Release courtesy of Fitchburg State student journalist Kyle Prudhomme
