Reiter's Hat Trick Powers 'Cats To 5-2 Win Over Campbell In Season Finale

Tuesday, November 3

Buies Creek, N.C.

7:00 p.m.

Davidson College Athletics

11-7-0

Campbell

8-9-1

Team	1	2	Final F
Davidson	2	3	5
Campbell	1	1	2

Senior Charlie Reiter scored seven points to cap a stellar career at Davidson

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

Reiter's Hat Trick Powers 'Cats To 5-2 Win Over Campbell In Season Finale

11/3/2009 10:28:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

By: Mark Brumbaugh

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Playing in his final collegiate game, senior Charlie Reiter scored a career-best three goals and one assist to lead Davidson men's soccer to a 5-2 win over the Atlantic Sun conference regular season champions, Campbell, on Tuesday night in Eakes Athletic Complex. Davidson finished an exciting 2009 season with an 11-7-0 record.

Junior MF Josh Zipin (Silver Springs, Md.) tallied a goal and an assist. Senior Christian Hambleton (Scotch Plains, N.J.) tallied a career-best three assists, while classmate Clinton Smith (New Orleans, La.) registered one assist.The five-goal effort was Davidson's first since 2004 when the 'Cats defeated Vanderbilt, 5-2.

“The guys stepped up and delivered a very positive, hungry, cohesive performance tonight to cap off a really good season,” said Davidson head coach Matt Spear. “It was great to see the seniors make such a large impact on their final game. It was really heart-warming for all of us to see them cap their careers that way and a salute to all that they have done for the program during their careers.”

Reiter's seven-point effort gives him a team-leading 32 points (12 goals, 8 assists) for the complete, 18-game season. The total is the best single-season mark for a Davidson player since Chris Norbet scored 42 points (19g, 4a) in 2001. As a team, the Wildcats finished with 37 goals scored, their highest total since 2004 when they scored 37 in 22 games.

An own goal by Campbell (8-9-1) gave Davidson an early 1-0 lead at 5:39, which was then extended to 2-0 when Davidson's counter attack struck in the 23rd minute. Reiter (Westport, Conn.) found Zipin with a pass for the goal.

Mitchell Cardenas halved the lead less than six minutes later after putting home the rebound from a shot taken by Pat Danford, but Reiter and the Wildcats took over in the second half. Hambleton sent a cross to the far post to Zipin, who dropped it to Reiter for a goal just 46 seconds into the new frame.

The 'Cats counter attack struck again in the 61st minute as Davidson moved the ball up the left flank. Three seniors combined for the goal as both Hambleton and Smith earned assists on Reiter's second goal of the match. Reiter's third came just under four minutes later with Hambleton again earning an assist. Reiter chipped the ball in from the top of the goal box to give the 'Cats a 5-1 advantage.

Campbell's Justin Smith headed in a corner kick from Jason Keever in the 72nd minute for the match's final goal.

Senior GK Robby Goldsberry earned the start for Davidson and made four saves, while his counterpart Ted Awana did the same for Campbell. Shots were even at 14, while Davidson held a slight 5-3 edge in corner kick attempts.

Senior defenders Liam Bracken (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Tim Roark (Gainsville, Fla.) both started and played the entire game.

“It was definitely a great way to end the season and for the seniors to wrap up their careers,” said Goldsberry. “It was a fun game. We defended really well as a team, and our offense scored some exciting goals.”

Despite coming up just short in Southern Conference play, the 2009 season was a memorable one for the Davidson men's soccer program.

The 'Cats totaled 11 wins in 2009 and broke into the national Top 25 poll for the first time since 2005. Soccer America ranked the 'Cats No. 21 following their thrilling 4-1 win over No. 6 Duke in Alumni Stadium. The win over Duke was their second of the season over a nationally-ranked opponent (a feat not accomplished since 2004), as the 'Cats also knocked off No. 25 South Carolina by the same score.

The 'Cats more than doubled their 2008 scoring output of 18 goals, led by Reiter and juniors Yannick Pilgrim (Arima, Trinidad & Tobago) and Alex Caskey (Dunwoody, Ga.). Pilgrim finished with 20 points (7g, 6a), while Caskey finished with 16 (7g, 2a). Both players drew national honors from Soccer America and conference recognition during the season.