Royals Rally To Claim Spot In Championship Match

KINGS POINT, N.Y. - Junior back Gary Racich (Jackson, N.J./St. Rose) headed in a shot for a goal with less than three minutes remaining in double-overtime to spark The University of Scranton to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over the United States Merchant Marine Academy in the semifinals of the Landmark Conference tournament Wednesday evening.

Racich's game-winning goal was set up by sophomore back Rob Ednie (Fair Haven, N.J./Rumson-Fair Haven), who recorded his second assist of the season as the Royals knocked off the top-seeded Mariners for the second time this year. With the win, Scranton improves to 9-7-1 and advances to Saturday's championship match against second-seeded Drew, which defeated Susquehanna, 1-0 in overtime, in the other semifinal match. Saturday's championship will take place on Drew's campus in Madison, New Jersey.

USMMA, which fell to 11-6, took a 1-0 lead early in the second-half on a goal by Will Sprouse on a ball served from the right sideline by Ben Incuye. The Royals tied it up in the 70th-minute on sophomore back Ralph Elliott's (Philadelphia, Pa./Episcopal Academy) first goal of the season off of a deflection on a direct kick by sophomore midfielder Sebastian Akerman (Helsingborg, Sweden/Intl. School of Helsingborg).

Freshman goalie Brandon Dombrowski (Hockessin, Del./Salesianum) made three saves and USMMA's Preston Stokes was credited with two. Racich's goal was his fifth of the season and his second game-winner.

The Royals will be making their second straight appearance in the championship match of a conference tournament. Scranton dropped a 1-0 decision to DeSales University in the finals of the Freedom Conference tournament last November in its final season as a member of the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation.