Sept. 24, 2008
Final Stats
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Marist (2-4-1) played the second game of their three-game home stand Wednesday night in Poughkeepsie, and brought their stand record to 1-1, as they defeated Stony Brook (2-6-1), 2-0 at Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field. The Red Foxes dominated the Seawolves in every facet of the game.
The Red Foxes opened the scoring in the 17th minute when freshman Joe Touloumis (Cranford, N.J.) assisted on his the goal.
Witkowski's goal was all the help Marist freshman goalkeeper Scott Kessler (Jericho, N.Y.) would need. Kessler made three saves on the night to preserve his first shutout, and second win of the 2008 campaign. The freshman net minder made his biggest save in the second half when Stony Brook's Tom Butler would put a bouncing ball at his feet; Kessler was able to corral and clear the ball for the Foxes.
Shortly after Kessler's save, Marist would add an insurance goal off the foot of freshman Chris Nacca (Rochester, N.Y.). The freshman forward/midfielder was able to pass the Seawolves defender and put the ball into the lower left corner of the goal, beyond the reach of Stony Brook's goalkeeper Dawid Ditrich, giving the Red Foxes a 2-0 lead. Szabo's goal was his third of the season also.
Marist head coach Matt Viggiano said he is starting to see the freshmen complete the transition to playing NCAA Division I soccer.
"[Kessler, Szabo and Witkowski] are getting used to the speed of play in Division I," Viggiano said after the match. "They started off decent. Now that they are working hard they are getting results. The kids have talent; it is a big transition to play at the Division I level.
Marist came out of the gate as an aggressive and determined team, as they looked to win every ball that was up for grabs. Sophomore Desmond Farrelly (Emerson, N.J.) and red-shirt senior Luis Andre (Matawan, N.J.) anchored the Red Foxes' defense and kept the ball out of the possession of the Stony Brook goal scorers.
The Red Foxes held the edge in almost all statistical categories. Marist out shot Stony Brook, 14-5, had twice as many shots on goal, a 6-3 advantage, took two more corner kicks than SBU, a 5-3 margin, and had 10 fewer fouls than the visiting team.
Marist will return to action on Sunday, as the second game in a Red Foxes soccer program double header. The women will take the field at 2 p.m. when they host the Bucknell Bison. Following the women's game the men will play host to Albany, with kick-off scheduled for 5 p.m.
