Box Score Lafayette Hill, Pa. - (11/2/2015) – The Chestnut Hill College men's soccer team made history this afternoon, and they hardly could have scripted it any better. When 90 minutes of regulation and 20 more of overtime were insufficient to decide their Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) quarterfinal against #5 Philadelphia University, the fourth-seeded Griffins stared down the defending league champions in a tense penalty shootout and never blinked. By the time freshman midfielder Jeffrey Ast (Reading, Pa.) plugged the lower left corner of the net in the sixth and final round of penalty kicks, Chestnut Hill College had walked off with a 5-4 shootout win and their first-ever postseason victory. The Scarlet and Gold advance to meet top-seeded Wilmington University in Thursday's semifinals at Post University.  

In an evenly-matched slugfest that ended in a 2-2 draw and featured a pair two penalty kicks and a half-dozen or more golden scoring chances between the two sides, Chestnut Hill College (7-6-3) prevailed thanks in large part to its stalwart keeper and a pair of unflappable freshmen. Philadelphia University (8-5-5), four days removed from a 2-0 setback on the same field in the regular-season finale, looked to be in business when it converted its opening offering in the PK shootout and the Griffins misfired on theirs. Both squads connected on their next two attempts, with junior defender Nils Fussen (Aachen, Germany) and senior midfielder Matthew Casaletto (Sewell, N.J.) matching successful Ram salvoes to keep the home side in contention, down just 3-2.
 
Junior netminder James Jackson (Sewell, N.J.) dove to his left to bat away the next Philadelphia University effort, and senior midfielder Nicholas Jaffe (Sao Paulo, Brazil) buried his to make it 3-all. The Rams cashed in their next opportunity, but freshman forward Jason Doherty (Letterkenny Donegal, Ireland) calmly slotted home with the game on the line to deliver another deadlock. Jackson followed with his biggest save of the season, deflecting the next Philadelphia University shot off the crossbar, and Ast took it from there, etching a historic triumph into program lore with his first career penalty kick attempt.
 
Philadelphia University had two golden scoring chances in the opening minutes, but misfired both times. Still, the Rams grabbed a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick goal by senior defender Angelo Dambalas (Marlton, N.J.) at the 28:45 mark.
 
It didn't last long. Jaffé and Fussen combined on a picture-perfect give-and-go in the box, with Fussen roofing a right-footed rocket to equalize just 30 seconds later, 1-1 (29:15). Fussen set up the go-ahead tally less than five minutes later (34:02), when he latched onto a long boot by Jackson and was taken down in the box for a penalty kick, Jaffé converting easily for a 2-1 advantage.
 
Armed with urgency and a 31-9 advantage in shots, the Rams pulled even when senior forward Ishmaiah Calwrie (Baltimore, Md.) headed in a corner by junior midfielder Seiji Rose (Toulouse, France), leveling at 2-apiece (69:04). Jackson made three more saves in the second half, and neither team managed a shot on goal in the two extra sessions, setting up the dramatic finish.
 
Calwrie led the Rams with six shots, with Rose and senior midfielder Ryan Schroy (Medford, N.J.) providing four apiece. Sophomore goalie Ben Sauer (Bel Air, Md.) came up with three saves (8-4-5).
 
Jaffé (six) and Fussen (three) accounted for all nine Chestnut Hill College shots. With three more points on his ledger, Jaffé – fresh off his selection to the All-CACC Second Team earlier in the day – matched Gavin Reid '12 for the second-highest single-season point total in school history (27) and passed Reid for second all-time with his 49^th career point. Jackson racked up nine saves for the Griffins, who improved to 4-0-1 all-time at home against Philadelphia University.
 
The Rams eliminated Chestnut Hill College from the CACC Championship Tournament in both 2010 and 2013, but the third time proved a charm for the Scarlet and Gold, who will take on the top-seeded Wildcats at noon on Thursday, November 5, in Waterbury, Connecticut.