RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The Marist men's soccer team fell in a close match to Manhattan on Saturday afternoon, 3-2. Each team scored a pair of back to back goals within a two minute span; the Red Foxes in the first half and the Jaspers in the second. Senior Greg Davis (Jamaica, N.Y.) and Tony Carreras (Valley Stream, N.Y.) posted one goal each for Marist. Senior goalkeeper Anthony Sokalski (London, Ontario) recorded two saves in net for the Red Foxes.
“That may have been the unluckiest game I've ever been a part of,” said head coach Matt Viggiano. “We hit the post three times at 2-1. I'm heartbroken for the guys. They deserved better today.”
The Jaspers posted the first goal of the game in the 25th minute. Dominic Chavez took a free kick, placing it near the far post. Alex Shackley connected with the kick and headed the ball into the net for a 1-0 lead.
Marist had a strong first half, recording six shots and earning a five to three advantage in corner kicks. Davis got on the board first for the Red Foxes at the 43:50 mark, chipping in a shot over Manhattan's Alex Coates-McDowall to tie the game, 1-1.
With just four seconds remaining in the first half, Carreras converted a penalty kick to give Marist a 2-1 lead heading into halftime.
The Red Foxes had a strong second half as well, outshooting Manhattan 8-5. Marist attempted three shots looking for the 3-1 advantage that hit the post. Senior Evan Southworth (Newburgh, N.Y.), sophomore Steven Arraiano (Putnam Valley, N.Y.), junior Dylan Lee (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.), and freshman Mario Vukadinovic (Konstaz, Germany) recorded one shot on goal each in an offensive effort for the Red Foxes.
The Jaspers had better luck, converting two goals in a one minute and 17 second period to secure their victory. Reese Akers collected a corner kick and served it to Andrew Melitsanopoulous on the near side. Melitsanopoulous netted the ball far post at the 77:37 mark to tie the game, 2-2. Melitsanopoulous scored his second goal of the game shortly after, at the 78:54, off a pass from Tommy Amos. The Red Foxes move to 3-13 overall and 2-6 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play.
Marist heads to Buffalo to face Niagara on Wednesday, Nov. 6 for its last road game of the season. The Red Foxes return home for their season closer and senior night on Saturday, Nov. 9 against Fairfield. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Tenney Stadium. Admission is free and open to the public.
Become a fan of Marist Athletics on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
-GoRedFoxes.com-
