MARCY, N.Y. – The SUNYIT Men's Soccer Team (1-0-0) rebounded after a slow first-half start to win their home opener Friday night, 3-1 over the visiting Sage Gators (0-1-0). The win avenged SUNYIT's season-opening loss of a year ago at Sage. The Wildcats came alive for three goals in the second half, and out shot the Sage men 11 to 4.

SUNYIT's torrid second half, however, belied their first.

"The first half the elements were against us a little with the wind in our face, but we still need to play better," said SUNYIT coach Peterson Jerome after the game. "We played a lot better in the second half, but at the end of the day we gotta come out and play 90 minutes."

To Jerome's point, SUNYIT was burned almost before the national anthem had finished playing, as striker Scott Jarosz snuck a rare goal by 'IT keeper Malick Faye (Bronx, N.Y. / MLK) less than a minute into the match.

Jarosz's shot was assisted by a cross from the right side by Kenny Barnes. Jarosz came up with the bass and rolled one to the left side of the goal just out of the reach of a diving Faye.

While the Wildcats struggled for chances in the first half, freshmen middie Luke Bogar (New Hartford, N.Y. / New Hartford) gave SUNYIT an opening with a beautiful feed to Mario Gomez (Rome, N.Y. / Rome Free Academy) cutting down the seam. Gomez was unable to convert, but the play would be a precursor of things to come in the second half.

"In the second half we just came out and wanted it more," said Jerome, "our tenacity showed up, and we started coming out with all the 50-50 balls after losing out on 90% of them in the first half."

Gomez epitomized SUNYIT's effort in the second half, as he gained an advantage down the left side before delivering a beautiful cross to freshman Bazo Coulibaly (Bronx, N.Y. / Kennedy HS), who found the vacated net at the 57-minute mark.

With the score tied at one, SUNYIT seized the momentum just seven minutes later, as 2010 NEAC Player of the Year Diego Montaleza (Bronx, N.Y. / MLK) fired an unassisted goal from outside the box to give SUNYIT the lead at 64:51.

Wasting no time, Montaleza found Gomez right in front of the net at 65:57 for SUNYIT's third and final goal.

The Gators, to their credit, played hard all the way through the buzzer. With only seven-minutes-and-change to play, Gator midfielder Andrew Bartoah beat his man down the right side and fired a strong shot on goal. The look was good and the shot well-executed, but SUNYIT goalie and 2011 NEAC Player of the Year Malick Faye made an excellent leaping save to tip the ball over the crossbar.

SUNYIT will play another home match tomorrow night, hosting rival Utica College at 7:00 pm. In a contentious game at Utica last season, the Wildcats lost 1-0.