By Miguel Gonzalez
Assistant Sports Editor
Ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” As the men’s soccer team learned this weekend, sometimes you can miss 100 percent of the shots you do make, too. The Lions outshot both of their opponents this weekend, only to lose both contests, 1-0.
On Wednesday, Sept. 28, the Lions endured a 1-0 road loss against the Rutgers-Camden University Scarlet Raptors. The following Saturday, Oct. 1, the Lions suffered another 1-0 loss at the feet of the Rutgers-Newark University Scarlet Raiders.
Heading into Camden, N.J., the Lions were focused on winning more conference matches in order to stay on top of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and qualify for the postseason tournament. Throughout the match, the Lions offense struggled to produce goals, despite their constant pressure on the Scarlet Raptors.
“Conference games are more competitive than non-conferences games,” head coach George Nazario said. “NJAC opponents are motivated and hustle to get the (conference) win. Otherwise, the season is cut short by end of October.”
On the goalkeeping front, Scarlet Raptor James Brett kept saving shots from senior forward Sean Etheridge and junior midfielder Peter Dresch. Meanwhile, sophomore goalkeeper Dan Walsh led the Lions defense with five saves.
Dresch was named the College’s Athlete of the Week for the week of Tuesday, Sept. 27 for scoring three goals during the Lions 7-0 victory against the New Jersey City University Gothic Knights.
In the second half, the Scarlet Raptors were able to tear through the Lions defense. At the 77th minute, Scarlet Raptor Dan Gilbert launched a shot and teammate Shane Guyer rebounded the ball for a goal. Afterwards, the Lions attempted to equalize the match, as freshman forward Matt Panizza shot twice. Nonetheless, the Lions ultimately conceded a 1-0 loss.
As the calendar shifted to October, the Lions returned to the Soccer Complex for a four-game homestand starting with another conference matchup against the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders.
In contrast to the Scarlet Raptors, the Scarlet Raiders played physically, as four yellow cards were issued, including three during the second half.
The Lions stayed in control during the first 30 minutes. Sophomore midfielder/ forward Nick Sample and Dresch provided two corner kicks. In the midst, sophomore defender Nick Zolofra and senior defender Clayton Flon fueled the Lions defense with continuous passes, repossessions and crosses. Yet, no shot reached the end of the net.
The Scarlet Raiders countered in the 31st minute when forward Alex Torres scored on a short diagonal shot through Walsh with an assist from Raiders midfielder Stefano Muniz.
During the second half, the Lions scrambled to score a goal in an effort to not repeat their previous shutout loss. In the 49th minute, senior forward Thomas Hogue headed in a lob pass that was immediately saved by Scarlet Raiders goalie Andres Medina.
Ten minutes later, the Lions were close to enduring another setback when freshman forward Fabio De Sousa ripped a fast shot toward the center post. Similar to the first half, Walsh and the Lions defense continued to block the Scarlet Raiders.
The Lions closest opportunity to score came in the 73rd minute. Senior forward Sean Etheridge knocked in a header shot and Scarlet Raiders goalie Medina miraculously dove in for a save. As regulation time dwindled, the Lions resorted to long distance shooting.
Overall, the Lions offense produced a combined whopping 49 shots against the Scarlet Raptors and Scarlet Raiders. At the same time, the Lions only allowed 14 shots and conceded only two goals.
“The defense performed well. Only allowing one to two goals per game provides a good safety net,” Nazario said. “However, no matter how many shots were on target, our offense wasn’t able to score. Our team can’t be shutout, especially against conference opponents.”
The Lions homestand resumes, as they compete against the College of Staten Island Dolphins on Monday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m. The Lions play another conference match against the Ramapo College Roadrunners on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m.
