Saturday
MARCY, N.Y. – The SUNYIT Men's Soccer Team set a school record for consecutive wins on Saturday, grabbing their 6th-straight with a 6-1 win over Penn St.-Berks.
The Wildcats scored early and often, as Josh Kimber (Chittenango, N.Y. / Chittenango) and Tyler Plows (Mt. Markham, N.Y. / Mt. Markham) tied for the lead in goals with two apiece, while Diego Montaleza (New York, N.Y. / MLK) had a brilliant 3-assist day. With the performance Montaleza moved into first-place in the NEAC in points with 17.
Also adding goals on the day were freshman Nicholas McBride (Schenectady, N.Y. / Mohonasen), and senior Kurreem Williams (Mt. Vernon, N.Y. / TCI).
Sunday
The Wildcats faced a tough NEAC test in the form of 6-2-0 Penn State-Abington on Sunday, and came away with their first loss of the season, 1-0.
The two teams appeared evenly-matched from the start, with both showcasing their defenses in the first half.
Finally in the second half, SUNYIT got a good chance with just about 28 minutes to go, as Kimber broke away and ripped a liner from just outside the penalty box. Abington goalie Dan Saint-Pol made a nice stop on the play to preserve the scoreless tie.
In the 68th minute the game would be decided, as Marco Paparo chased down a long clear. The 6-4 senior forward won the ball but appeared to have a no-angle shot. With SUNYIT goalie Malick Faye (Bronx, N.Y. / MLK) anticipating the cross, Paparo somehow poked the ball into the top of the net. Faye, who leads the NEAC in save percentage, never had a chance at stopping the well-placed ball.
SUNYIT played hard to the end, making a couple chances for themselves late on a pair of free kicks and a corner, but the Abington defense held firm to give the Wildcats their first loss on the year.
SUNYIT will look to rebound as they hit the road for another NEAC contest, this time with Cazenovia. Game time is scheduled for 2:00 pm on October 2nd.
