By Ann Brunn
Correspondent
The men’s soccer team won two out of three matches this past week, propelling itself to a 4-1 record on the season.
The team notched a victory over Brooklyn College by a score of 3-0 at Lions’ Stadium on Sept. 4.
Both sides were held without a goal in the first half, but junior midfielder Ryan Vazquez broke the tie in the 16th minute of the second half with a goal assisted by sophomore midfielder Ryan Santos.
The Lions’ defense was stifling, holding Brooklyn to only two shots throughout the entire match and not allowing any on goal.
On offense, the Lions totaled 24 shots and maintained possession for 56 percent of the game.
The College found the back of the net for a second goal in the 84th minute when freshman midfielder Riley Furlong tapped a pass from just beyond the left goalpost to freshman midfielder Luke Yates, who notched his first collegiate goal off a Brooklyn defender.
A minute later, freshman forward Paul Tepedino collected his first collegiate goal 17 yards out from the net from an assist by junior midfielder Kevin Esteves.
In the first game of the Jimmy Mills Tournament at Haverford College on Saturday, Sept. 7, the Lions clinched a 1-0 win over Hampden-Sydney College.
Hampden-Sydney put the Lions’ defense to work early in the first half, accumulating nine shots.
Junior goalkeeper Daniel Mecadon made a crucial save just three minutes into the match with a corner kick. In the 19th minute, the Lions had the opportunity to score, but a shot by junior defenseman Matthew Nastarowicz sailed just high of the goal.
The game was scoreless entering halftime, with Mecadon tallying three saves for the team.
Ten minutes into the second half, senior midfielder Michael Maltese executed a cross to Vazquez, who headed the ball in for the game’s first and only goal. Vazquez shot his third goal of the season, while Maltese had his second assist.
They were shutout by a score of 4-0 and had their four-game winning streak from the start of the season snapped. Centre scored first in the 10th minute, and then again in the 26th minute.
The Lions had the chance to cut the lead three minutes before halftime, but Esteves’ corner kick to junior midfielder Sam Monaco was just wide of the goal. In the 57th minute, Centre scored again, making the Lions face a three-goal deficit.
Freshman forward Paul Tepedino sent a shot that sailed high in the 60th minute. Four minutes later, Vazquez’s shot was stopped by the Centre goalkeeper.
Centre was able to maintain control for the rest of the match and ultimately hand the Lions their first loss of the season.
Men’s soccer is back in action on the road this week, starting tonight at 7 p.m. against FDU-Florham in Madison, New Jersey.
