FLUSHING, N.Y. – Hosting the second-ever East Coast Conference Championship on Saturday evening, the top-seeded Queens College men's soccer team welcomed the No. 2 seed Roberts Wesleyan University Redhawks to Knights Field for a dramatic title showdown.
In a physical and fast-paced match that featured 40 total shots, 15 shots on goal, a 30-minute lightning delay, seven yellow cards, and 34 combined fouls, the Knights battled back after entering halftime trailing 1-0.
Graduate defender
Cillian Heaney (Westport, Ireland) sparked the comeback just nine minutes into the restart, burying the equalizer in the 55th minute to bring the match level at 1-1.
Redshirt-sophomore goalie
Thanasis Shehadeh (Nicosia, Cyprus) anchored a resilient backline throughout the remainder of regulation and extra time. Shehadeh recorded four saves in total, including two clutch stops during the overtime periods to keep the Knights in contention.
With neither side able to find a winner after 110 minutes, the 2025 ECC Championship was decided in penalty kicks. In a tense finish, the Redhawks edged the Knights 4-3 in the shootout, handing Queens a heartbreaking end to an otherwise strong performance.
Head Coach
Frank Vertullo and the Knights move to 13-3-4 on the year and now await Monday, November 17, when the NCAA Division II Selection Show reveals the national tournament field. Queens entered the week ranked No. 10 in the third Super Region 1 regional poll.
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