by Peter Dalmasy

A Friday afternoon filled with overcast and light drizzle did not change the way host Loyola played against visiting St. Paul's. Eighty eight minutes of hard fought soccer between the Dons and Crusaders would end on a nicely timed kick from sophomore Douglas Adjei, off a deft pass from senior Steele Stanwick in extra time. gave the Dons their first conference victory of 2007, 1-0 over the Crusaders.

St. Paul's sophomore Mike Faby, a native of Lutherville, was a crucial defensive weapon for St. Paul's, in this physical contest, as he repeatedly frustrated the attacking Dons with possession changing plays. The majority of the pressure was applied by Loyola's senior midfielder corps of Steven LeVine, David Butler and Isaac Taylor, but despite several developing opportunities, the Dons were not able solve the Crusader defense in regulation.

In extra time, however, Loyola only needed two possessions to get on the scoreboard. The winning goal was setup by a steal by senior Sean Sheehan, who fed it to Stanwick, who in turn fed it to Adjei for the finish. Crusader goalkeeper Peter Windsor recorded 11 saves up until that point, including a great punch block three minutes prior to the game-winning strike.

"That was the finish that was needed to spark this season," said Loyola goalkeeper Tim Peitsch about Adjei's brilliant goal. Peitsch also credits his defense for playing "pretty strong," only allowing him to make two saves on three shots from the Crusader offense. The victory also marks head coach Lee Tschantret's first MIAA A Conference victory. The Dons opened league play with a loss to Archbishop Curley, last week, and tied Gilman, 1-1, on Tuesday.

"I'm very proud of the effort we had, connecting all game, just not getting that finish until so late," Tchantret said. Tschantret and the Dons (3-1-1, 1-1-1) are looking forward to Monday, when they host John Carroll.

Despite the strong effort, St. Paul's fell to 0-5. The Crusaders will look to rebound and get their first victory on Monday when they host Gilman.