USMMA Upends SJC Men’s Soccer, 3-1
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Joseph's (L.I.) (1-5) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
|
Merchant Marine (5-1) | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Kings Point, NY| The St. Joseph's College (L.I.) men's soccer team was handed its fifth loss of the season on Tuesday night, falling to the United States Merchant Marine Academy 3-1 in Kings Point, NY. Junior Justin Heredia netted the only tally for the Golden Eagles, as they fall to 1-5 on the season, while USMMA improves to 5-1.
St. Joseph's Justin Busto recorded the game's first shot in the sixth minute, but just two minutes later the hosts scored the game's first goal. The SJC defense played a ball back to keeper Avery Gomez, but Merchant Marine forward Gavin Yingling stripped the junior of the ball before he deposited into the empty net for his fifth goal of the season.
In the 26th minute, USMMA doubled its lead when Michael Heckmuller found Dan Weldon with a through-ball, and the forward beat a defender before finishing low to the keeper's right. Merchant Marine would enter halftime holding advantages in shots (8-4) and corners (2-1).
The hosts continued to apply pressure, generating five shots in the first 15 minutes of the second frame before increasing their lead in the 60th minute. It was Yingling who struck again, this time taking a low pass from Alex Niemann and finishing it low left-side.
The Golden Eagles would respond six minutes later, when junior defender Cody Kull brought down a thrown-in ball in the box before evading a couple of defenders and sliding the ball over to Heredia on the right, who tucked the ball inside the right post to draw the game back 3-1.
From there Merchant Marine closed up shop and cruised to their fifth victory of the season. Gomez was credited with six saves on the evening in a game that saw his side outshot 17-9. Heredia's tally was his first of the season. The Patchogue native scored three goals in 2014
St. Joseph's is back in action this Saturday, September 19 when they open their Skyline Conference campaign at home against the Sage Colleges. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM at Danzi Stadium. Be sure to follow live stats here on sjcgoldeneagles.com.
