Box Score
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RIVERDALE, N.Y. - The Manhattan College men's soccer team broke their seven-game scoreless streak Friday night but could not mount a second half rally in a 4-1 loss to Fairfield University.
Playing their first of two final home contests this season at Gaelic Park, the Jaspers (0-13-0, 0-7-0) excited the hometown crowd early with a goal from senior midfielder Jake Ostrov but gave up four unanswered to the visiting Stags (4-6-5, 3-3-0), including three in a big second half to lead to their demise on the evening.
"It was nice to find the back of the net," first-year Coach Ashley Hammond exclaimed. "We showed some good technical ability in the first half and some dangerous attacks gave us a chance. The boys lacked a bit of focus in the second half which we paid for again but we're confident a year from now we will be fully competing with teams of this skill level."
For the game, Fairfield outshot Manhattan 30-9, including a 13-5 margin in shots on goal. However, despite the seemingly one-sided numbers, the first 45 minutes played out as possible Manhattan's best half of the year against a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opponent.
Having spent what seemed like an eternity off the scoreboard, Manhattan finally got back into the offensive column in the 20th minute. Off a diagonal ball by senior Sean Russell. Ostrov created space and sent a brilliant strike from the top of the box past Stag's sophomore keeper Michael O'Keefe for the 1-0 lead. It was the fourth-year players' first goal as a member of the men's program and the team's first advantage since the opening contest of the 2010 season.
Feeling one goal would not be enough; Manhattan continued their aggressive attack but was unable to tack on another to add distance between them and the opposition. With the deficit standing at a goal, Fairfield evened the score, converting on a late chance to slide back into the match.
In the 42nd minute, off a ball deflected in the attacking third, sophomore Nuno Rodrigues found himself open in space and beat Jaspers' freshman goaltender Christopher Lands on a breakaway for the 1-1 tie right before intermission. It was his second goal of the season.
With momentum now in their favor, the Stags came out firing in the second half. Scoring three times in less than three minutes early, Fairfield stunned the youthful Jaspers and dealt them a blow they would be unable to recover from.
Off a corner kick in the 55th minute, sophomore defender Jonny Raj headed a perfectly placed ball from senior midfielder Matthew Uy to the back of the net for a 2-1 Fairfield lead. For Raj, the tally was his first of the year.
Almost one minute after Fairfield took the lead, Rodrigues would add to his statistical total. Finding his way inside the box after a long pass was deflected by the Jaspers; the nimble forward settled a bouncing ball from 10-yards out and sent it to the far post for the brace and a 3-1 advantage.
Finishing the scoring on the evening, senior forward Erik Ilisije stole a clearing pass by Lands and tapped it in on the far side for the 4-1 final score and his third goal of the season.
Between the pipes, O'Keeffe posted four saves on the night while Lands made nine overall, his second highest total of the year.
By the numbers, the Green and White had seven players record at least one shot and were paced by Ostrov and freshman midfielder Daniel Festa, who each had two.
Manhattan College will return to the field Sunday morning at 10 a.m. when they take on MAAC opponent Iona College in their annual "Senior Day" game.
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