High scoring games have the ability to boost a team’s morale and turn the season around. This past week’s win for the Lions might have that same positive affect on the men’s soccer team.
Junior forward Dan Constants’ hat trick propelled the College to a 6-1 win over Berkeley College on Saturday Oct. 9, setting the team at a .500 record for the first time this season.
“(Constants) made some good runs in the box and found himself in the right spot at the right time,” sophomore midfielder Taylor Gregory said. “He stayed composed to finish shots.”
Gregory, along with junior midfielder Anthony DiPalmo and freshman midfielder Alex Kirchner, helped lead the Lions to the win with one goal apiece.
The six-goal win was the highest number of goals in a game for the Lions since 2007 when the team defeated Medgar Evers College with nine goals.
“It’s a good accomplishment, regardless of the competition,” Gregory said. “Anytime you can score six goals in a game it’s a great thing.”
Despite the Lions large output in the game, the Knights took the lead early in the game, with a break-away goal by freshman midfielder Ramon Arce just 3:26 into the first half.
“We had a lot of underclassmen starting the game and mental mistakes were expected to happen at least a couple of times. I knew we would be able to easily rebound from the goal and play our game and the goals would come for us,” Gregory said. “It was just a matter of getting organized after the goal and keeping possession.”
Nevertheless, the Lions pressured the Knights and just two minutes later, Gregory put the ball in the upper-ninety off of a direct kick to tie it up. The goal rallied the team and the Lions continued to score.
DiPalmo followed with a goal just four minutes later off an assist from Gergory, and Constants recorded two more before the end of the half. Constants scored his hat trick with three consecutive goals. This was his first career hat trick.
Kirchner had the assist for Constants’s first goal with a corner kick, allowing Constants to capitalize on the near-post opportunity.
The Lions outshot the Knights 29-4 and senior goalkeeper Chris Kulick recorded a pair of saves, including one off a penalty kick in the first half. The Knights freshman goalkeeper Paul Logan recorded nine
saves.
The Lions are now 5-5-2 on the season and 3-1-1 in the NJACs. The men’s soccer team has now won four games and tied one in their last six match-ups.
The team will continue conference play on Oct. 13 at William Paterson University at 7 p.m. The Lions are currently tied with the Pioneers for third place in the NJAC standings.
Hilarey Wojtowicz can be reached at wojtowi3@tcnj.edu.
