Men's Soccer Drops 3-2 Battle to Mount Ida

Men's Soccer Drops 3-2 Battle to Mount Ida

NEWTON, Mass. – A back and forth contest saw Mount Ida College take the lead three times before hanging on for a 3-2 victory over Anna Maria College in their Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's soccer opener on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field.

GAME-WINNING GOAL

Juan Brenes (Santo Domingo, D.R.) struck for his team-high fifth goal and fourth game-winner of the season with just seven minutes left to play, firing a shot from twenty yards out that found the upper corner of the net, past the outstretched dive of AMCATS senior Dalton Gill (Florida, N.Y.).

That marker broke a 2-2 tie, which had been achieved by a first half goal in the run of play from each team and matching penalty kicks just twenty-four seconds apart in the second half.

SCORING

The hosts got their noses in front at the 15:49 mark thanks to freshman Michael Porcello's (Abington, Mass.) second collegiate goal. Porcello picked up a rebound off his own shot and put in back in the net past Gill.

It looked like they would keep that lead into the break, but Anna Maria struck just 28 seconds before the first half horn, after a Mount Ida giveaway. Gift Kalombo (Worcester, Mass.) was gifted the ball in his attacking end and ripped it into the upper 90 for his second goal of the season, and the teams went to the break tied at 1-1 despite a 14-8 shot advantage for the Mustangs.

Mount Ida took the lead again when they were awarded a penalty kick in the 58th minute that was coolly taken by senior JT Yager (Malta, N.Y.), but less than half a minute later, the AMCATS were awarded a penalty kick of their own which senior Christopher Mattioli (Sturbridge, Mass.) put home for his team-leading third goal of the season.

GOALKEEPERS

Junior Riley Ford (Guilderland, N.Y.) made four stops in net to earn his fourth win of the year for Mount Ida. Gill recorded eight saves for Anna Maria in the first complete-game in net of the season. 

WHAT'S NEXT

Anna Maria (1-4, 1-1 GNAC) are at Mass. Maritime at the same time in a non-conference game of their own.