West Hartford C.T. - The SUNY Poly men's soccer team suffered a tough first loss of the season, falling to the University of Saint Joseph Blue Jays by a score of 2-1. Jael Casimir was the goal scorer for the Wildcats, while Tyler Barth stopped four of six shots faced. The Wildcats will look to respond against the MCLA Trailblazers on August 31st.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
SUNY Poly opened the first half with energy and control, quickly putting Saint Joseph (Conn.) on the back foot. Just under three minutes in, Jael Casimir found the back of the net with a composed finish, assisted by Marcus Cole, giving the Wildcats an early 1-0 lead. It was Casimir's first goal of the season.
The Wildcats continued to push the pace, creating several quality chances. Cole nearly doubled the lead with a header in the 16th minute, but it was denied by Saint Joseph's keeper. SUNY Poly kept up the pressure with additional looks from Johnpaul Jerome, Eric Bethmann, and Gavin Barth. The Wildcats dominated possession for stretches and were aggressive in the attacking third, forcing multiple saves and corner kick opportunities.
Saint Joseph managed to pull even in the 30th minute with Mario Milardo scoring off a quick buildup. Despite the equalizer, SUNY Poly stayed on the front foot. Late in the half, Marcus Cole and Gavin Barth continued to test the defense, with Slayton making back-to-back saves to keep the score level. Abdoul Dabre added one last shot attempt just before the break that sailed high. The Wildcats would enter halftime tied with the Blue Jays 1-1.
SUNY Poly came out strong in the second half, controlling much of the early play and generating a steady stream of offensive pressure. Dominick Spychalski and Eric Bethmann had early looks within the first three minutes, both just missing the target. The Wildcats created a series of promising chances between the 45th and 60th minutes. Spychalski had another shot saved by the newly subbed-in keeper Andres Diosa, and Johnpaul Jerome's strike in the 52nd minute was blocked inside the box.
Defensively, the Wildcats remained composed. Tyler Barth came up with a key save in the 60th minute and made two more critical stops later in the half. As the clock wound down, SUNY Poly kept pushing forward. Spychalski had two more attempts blocked in quick succession, and Andrew Sprenger tested the keeper with a strong shot in the 86th minute. On the following corner, taken by Abdoul Dabre, SUNY Poly continued to press for the go-ahead goal.
However, against the run of play, the Blue Jays capitalized on a counterattack in the 88th minute, scoring on a shot from Elis Sulollari after a quick setup from Nate Gabriel. The Wildcats would not be able to find the equalizer in the final minutes and would fall by a score of 2-1.
