Oct. 12, 2007
Final Stats
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y.- The Marist men's soccer team had a 2-0 lead, lost it, but answered right back for an impressive 3-2 victory over MAAC foe Niagara on Friday afternoon.
Marist (4-5-2, 1-1-1 MAAC) played a strong first half, jumping out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Corey Perkins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and Joe Touloumis (Cranford, N.J.).
For the first score, Touloumis put a shot on goal and Corey Perkins was in the right spot at the right time to head in the rebound. The goal was the fourth of the year for Perkins. Touloumis was credited with the assist. It was his third.
For the second tally, the Perkins/Touloumis duo struck again. This time it was Touloumis cleaning up a rebound after a shot from Perkins. It was the first goal of Touloumis's career.
At the end of the half the Red Foxes held a 2-0 lead and it looked as if they would have no trouble securing their first MAAC win of the year.
Head Coach Matt Viggiano was happy with how his team was playing. "We really did a nice job in that first half. We totally controlled the field and the ball."
The second half momentum changed in a hurry when Stephen Kauble was able to capitalize on a Penalty Kick. That cut the score to 2-1, and it gave Niagara a much needed spark.
Less then six minutes later the Purple Eagles struck again. Again it was Kauble. This time he tied the score at 2-2 in the 66th minute of the match.
Marist absorbed Niagara's best shot and answered back in a hurry. One minute and 29 seconds after Niagara knotted the score at two, Marist senior Shareif Ali (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) brought the momentum and the match back in Marist's favor. The senior wound up and blasted a shot from twenty yards out and placed it perfectly in the top right corner of the net. It was his third goal of the season.
"Best and biggest goal of the year thus far," Coach Viggiano said after the match. "That was a big time play."
Marist would never look back.
Rookie keeper Tom DeBenedetto (Paramus, N.J.) got his fourth consecutive start in net for the Red Foxes. He moved his record to 2-1-1.
The Red Foxes were out-shot 22-12 on the match and 14-4 in the second half. However, after Ali's goal, Niagara wasn't able to muster any kind of scoring chance.
"We held our own, took their best shot, and answered back," Viggiano said. "I'm really proud of the character we showed in pulling this one out."
Marist returns to action on Sunday at Canisius before returning home to take on Siena, October 20th.
