Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Two first half mistakes led to two Quinnipiac goals as the Manhattan men's soccer team dropped their second straight contest in a 2-0 decision at Gaelic Park on Wednesday night. It was the first time the two teams met as Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) foes and just the third meeting overall.
The match began with a very fast, back-and-forth pace with neither team seeming to grab hold of the momentum. Manhattan (2-9-1, 2-2-1 MAAC) got the first scoring chance in the 17th minute. After Alex Shackley worked around a defender and into the box, his centering pass slipped all the way back to Dominic Chavez. A hard shot from more than 20 yards out was easily saved by Jason Vancura.
Less than a minute later, the Bobcats (6-3-4, 4-0-1 MAAC) got their first shot when Tobias Esche missed wide with an attempt. After Quinnipiac was called offside in the 21st minute, a Jasper mistake would lead to the first goal of the night. Goalkeeper Alex Coates McDowall sent a free kick towards midfield that was heading back towards the box by the Bobcats. As Andrew Santos went to clear it away, the ball instead deflected off of Daniel Festa and was corralled by Sam Nicol. He was able to collect, move to his right and fire a shot that beat Coates McDowall to the right side from 25 yards.
While the Quinnipiac defense held strong keeping the Jasper offense at bay, the Bobcats offense continued to put the pressure on. Brandon Strain-Goode had a brilliant chance to add to the lead in the 30th minute when a ball was placed to the left of the goal. As he moved towards the ball, Coates McDowall was able to slide in and deflect the shot out of bounds.
However, the lead would expand in the 37th minute on another takeaway. With Festa controlling just outside the penalty area, Simon Hinde was able to dispossess and feed Machel Baker. Baker then blasted one that was initially stopped by the Manhattan keeper but was hard enough to trickle through and into the net. The Jaspers would be unable to find a tally to get some momentum back before the half and trailed 2-0 at the break.
Out of halftime, the Bobcats immediately looked for third score, earning a corner kick within the first three minutes. That would result in a Justin Ward shot that was blocked by Tommy Amos. Hinde again tested Coates McDowall in the 53rd minute, but the freshman keeper was up to the task.
Manhattan's top scoring threat, Daniel Laguna Kennedy made his first impression on the match in the 54th with a drive from range that was barely saved by Vancura to keep the Jaspers off the board. Two minutes later Carlo Giachino was red carded after a hard tackle on Strain-Goode, putting Manhattan a man down for the rest of the match. That setback would not deter the team as they upped the intensity.
That extra effort would not be enough though as all four remaining shots were saved. The Bobcats took a total of 11 shots to the Jaspers six. Coates McDowall made two saves in the match, one in each half, while Vancura made four of his five saves in the second frame.
The Jaspers will return to action next on Sat., Oct. 26, when they travel to Loudonville, N.Y. to face off with conference rival Siena.
