BOX SCORE LORETTO, Pa. (Nov. 2, 2012) – Needing a win to stay alive in the hunt for a postseason playoff berth, the Saint Francis University men's soccer team did just that and then some, downing LIU Brooklyn 5-0 Friday night at DeGol Field. The game was the first time this season the Flash had played on that surface.

“Tonight was a great night for our team,” head coach Michael Casper said. “The guys kept their foot on the gas pedal, scored some tremendous goals and came away with a nice win. When we play with that kind of passion, energy and commitment, combined with the quality we saw today we are a very tough team to play against. We will take this win, the confidence it builds and get focused for another must win game on Sunday.”

Saint Francis improves to 6-7-4 overall and 4-3-2 in the Northeast Conference. SFU now has 14 points on the year, and will need a win on Sunday over Mount St. Mary's and a loss or tie by Sacred Heart to Monmouth to claim the fourth and final playoff spot in the NEC tournament.

Friday night's match was all Red Flash right from the start. Saint Francis controlled possession all over the field and did not allow the Blackbirds (2-13-2, 1-7-1 NEC) to get a shot off until 27 minutes into the first half. SFU collected 12 shots in period one but couldn't find the back of the net until the 43:38 mark when Nick Kolarac (Pittsburgh, Pa./West Allegheny) scored his first of two goals on the night that put the Flash up 1-0 at the break.

After halftime a flourish of goals were scored, four in all in a span of about 12 minutes. At the 47 minute mark Wayne Tiller (Magnolia, Del./Caesar Rodney) tallied the first of those four second half goals when he chipped in his second goal of the season on an assist from Alex Hainault (Montreal, Quebec/Westwood), his second assist of the evening.

Four minutes after Tiller got on the board, his senior counterpart Tamas Maffey-Stumpe (Cairns, Queensland, Australia/Mossman State) notched his first goal of the season on a free kick sent directly to the back of the net. Nearly four minutes again following Maffey-Stumpe's strike, Kolarac joined the offensive attack once more and snuck in a shot off the hands of LIU's keeper. The junior midfielder's second score of the contest gives him five on the year, a team-high. Ryan Byers (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland) earned the first point and assist of his career on Kolarac's second goal.

SFU's fifth and final tally was deflected in by LIU defender Jacob Smith on a shot by Mitch Kavlick (Erie, Pa./Erie McDowell). The goal stands as Kavlick's first career goal and was headed in the direction of the net regardless of the deflection. Assists on the play went to Pedro Machado (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/Salesiano Santa Rosa) and Shaun Russell (Chesapeake, Va./Norfolk Collegiate).

All in all, the Red Flash outshot the Blackbirds by a 23-8 margin and placed 16 of those shots on target. In goal for SFU, starting keeper Daniel Valcicak (Herndon, Va./Gonzaga College) collected four saves on the night and shares the shutout with Thomas McWilliams (Mermaid Waters, Australia/Palm Beach Currumbin) who came into the game in the second half and made two stops. This marks the eighth shutout for Saint Francis this season. Coming into tonight's contest, the team had scored eight goals the entire season.

Saint Francis will play its final game of the regular season at DeGol Field at 1 p.m. this Sunday and will honor its six seniors prior to the start of the contest.