The Oldest College Newspaper in Pennsylvania

The Lafayette

The Oldest College Newspaper in Pennsylvania

The Lafayette

The Oldest College Newspaper in Pennsylvania

The Lafayette

Men’s soccer ties Loyola on Senior Day, falls to Hofstra in final non-conference battle

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Lafayette soccer seniors were honored before their game against Loyola. (Photo Courtesy of GoLeopards)

The Lafayette men’s soccer team (8-5-3 overall, 2-2-3 conference) faced off against the Loyola Greyhounds this past Saturday, looking to come out with a win after tying in their previous Patriot League matchup against Colgate. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. The team then went on to fall 4-0 to non-league Hofstra University on Tuesday night in their Stronger Together vs. Cancer game.

The Maroon and White’s nine seniors: goalkeeper Alex Sutton, defenders Nick Hazel and Zayn Botchway Daniels, midfielders Yiannis Panayides, Sebastian Varela and Will Echeverria, and forwards Marcos Kitromilides, Max Ippolito and Jon Ford, were recognized for their unconditional dedication to the Lafayette soccer program prior to kickoff. 

Marking his sixth goal of the season, junior forward Lombard scored in the 10th minute with an assist from Kitromilides.

The game looked promising as the Leopards retained their 1-0 lead until the 86th minute when Loyola connected on a rebound to bring the match to a draw. 

“I thought we did well on making them uncomfortable. I felt like we did not let them get too much into a groove,” Lombard wrote in an email.

Following the Senior Day tie, the Leopards were annihilated on Tuesday by Hofstra 4-0. 

Prior to the match, the Pards recognized teammate Andrew Hummel and his battle against pediatric cancer.

The Leopards were led by junior midfielder Benji Grossi who finished with two shots. Grossi nearly scored to put the Leopards on the board in the 76th minute, but the long-range shot ended up just wide of the net.

Hofstra hit the back of the net on three separate occasions in the 20th, 24th and 34th minute of the first half. They recorded their fourth and final goal in the 65th minute.

Sophomore goalkeeper Griffin Huff made five saves on the day.

“I think we need to work on focusing for the full 90 minutes. Sometimes we get caught falling asleep, which allows the other team to get opportunities,” Lombard wrote. “I think we just need to stay focused, we know what we have to do and what we are capable of. Believing that will help with getting back on track.” 

The Leopards will travel to our nation’s capital to play the American University Eagles tomorrow at noon.

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Luke Gutleber, Staff Sports Writer

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