The College of Staten Island men’s soccer team snapped a modest two-game losing skid; dropping SUNY-Maritime on its home field in a tight, 2-1, contest in non-conference play yesterday afternoon. The win upped the Dolphins to a record of 2-9 overall while Maritime dropped to 6-2. The Dolphins, who scored only a single goal in its first seven games, have now scored six goals in its last four contests.
The well-played and balanced game see-sawed back and forth with both teams earning chances in the first stanza. CSI’s Andrew Brown was outstanding in net, turning back eight Maritime shots in the first half, while CSI recorded a late goal. The tally was registered at the 42:08 mark, as Lirim Begai scored his first career-goal to give the Dolphins a 1-0 lead heading into intermission.
Because Maritime was scrambling hard for the equalizer, CSI depended on its counter-attack in the second half, and scored their second goal 22:44 into the second frame. This time it was Ramy Hennedy scoring his first career tally passed Maritime keeper Michael Vanadia, who made six saves in the losing effort.
Inside the last 10 minutes, Maritime pressed further, and with 7:21 remaining, a Cesur Alagoz corner kick found the leg of James Salka, who punched in a goal to make it 2-1. The Dolphins, however, were able to hold on to record the victory, lifting their mark to 2-3 at home this season. Brown earned the win, making nine saves.
CSI will next face Brooklyn College on Wednesday, September 30, at 4pm. The game will be played at the CSI Soccer Complex, but it will be a home game for Brooklyn College.