Box Score EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. – For the second straight year under head coach Gregg Miller, the Manhattanville men's soccer team clinched a berth in the Freedom Conference Championship as they battled to a 1-1 tie with the Wilkes Colonels on Saturday afternoon at Schmidt Stadium.
 
In the first half of play the Valiants came out flat as the Colonels took a quick 5-1 edge in shots through the first 24 minutes of play. As play continued into the 32nd minute Wilkes was awarded a penalty kick and capitalized kicking the ball towards the post and well out of the reach of a diving Steve Singson (Deer Park, N.Y./St. Anthony's), in net for Manhattanville.
 
With the home team on top 1-0, the teams went to halftime with Manhattanville needing to make adjustments heading into the second half of play.
 
After the first few minutes of the second half ticked off the clock the game turned into the 'Olazabal Show' as both seniors Erick Olazabal (Milton, Ontario/Bishop Reding) and Eros Olazabal (Milton, Ontario/Bishop Reding) combined to rattle off five shots in less than a five minute span. After an offsides call against the Valiants in the 73rd minute, Manhattanville got the ball back after a Wilkes turnover.
 
Minutes later [Eros] Olazabal capitalized off of an indirect free kick from about 20 yards away to get it past Dave Marr and even the game at one apiece. For Olazabal it was his sixth goal of the season and 36th of his career to place him in sole possession of fourth place on the all-time goals scored list at Manhattanville, one ahead of former teammate Keston George '12.
 
Manhattanville picked up six more shots through the rest of regulation with no success, while Wilkes was unable to penetrate the Valiant defense and pick up any shot. With just 14 minutes remaining in the game Manhattanville senior Marco Blasetti (Yonkers, N.Y./Rye Country Day) received a yellow, and then a red card to eject Blasetti from the game forcing the Valiants to play down a player through the final seconds of regulation and into the overtime period.
 
In the first 10-minute overtime period the Valiants performed well despite playing 9 field players against 10, both sides registered a few shots apiece with Singson and Marr picking up one save each.
 
During the second overtime period Manhattanville had a golden opportunity for the golden goal as [Eros] Olazabal took a free kick from about 25 yards from the goal that was down on the ground and nearly trickled in underneath Marr after hitting some traffic in front of the net. The final horn sounded a few minutes later and the Valiants settled for the 1-1 tie.
 
Final stats saw the Valiants lead in terms of shots at 22-15, while shots on goal were 13-7 in favor of the crimson and white. Corner kicks were even at seven for each side through 110 minutes of play.
 
In goal Singson earned his fourth tie of the season to set a new single-season record for draws, not only individually but as a team as well. The Valiants as a team have never had more than three ties in one season, as it has been done on three occasions in program history in 1977, 1981, and 1984. Singson finished the game with six saves, while Marr settled for the draw as well making 12 saves in the process.
 
The tie clinches Manhattanville's second straight Freedom Conference Championship berth, and at least a top three seed in the playoffs. If the Valiants were to beat Misericordia in their final conference game of the season, a week from today, the Valiants would earn the top spot in the championship for the second straight season.
 
Manhattanville (7-5-4, 4-1-1 Freedom) will finish off the non-conference portion of their schedule when they travel to York College of Pennsylvania for a date with the nationally ranked Spartans at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Wilkes (5-9-1, 1-4-1 Freedom) will take on the University of Scranton next at home to end their home slate on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.