Last Saturday, the men’s soccer team (8-5-3 overall, 4-2-1 Patriot League) lost 2-0 to Loyola (6-1-8 overall, 5-0-2 Patriot League) in Baltimore, but responded by taking down non-conference opponent Stony Brook 3-2.
Loyola took the advantage early, scoring in the sixth minute. Not to be deterred, the Leopards remained aggressive with shots from various players including senior midfielder Benji Grossi, senior defender Connor Dawson, senior midfielder Carter Houlihan, senior forward Hale Lombard and junior forward Lawrence Aydlett. While none of these attempts resulted in a goal, the Leopards persisted throughout the first half.
“We had a couple of decent opportunities in both halves,” Houlihan said. “We just couldn’t find the back of the net.”
While Loyola was able to extend its lead to two before the end of the half, the Maroon and White remained optimistic. In the 52nd minute, Lombard gained possession of an airborne ball, firing it narrowly past the net. A last hopeful effort came from Grossi in the 64th minute when he picked the ball up from the left side and launched a low attempt that was saved by the opposing goalkeeper. The Leopards had a total of four shots in the second half, while junior goalkeeper Griffin Huff made two saves.
Though the team was not able to return to Easton with another win under its belt, it immediately prepared for an away trip to Stony Brook on Tuesday night. Heading into the last non-conference match of the season, Houlihan expressed the team’s positive headspace.
“Even though we lost, we’re still in a position to control our own destiny,” Houlihan said. “We can learn what went wrong against Loyola so that it doesn’t happen again. Stony Brook will be a good test and a good opportunity for us to get back on track before our last home game of the regular season.”
The Maroon and White were able to come away from their second match of the week with a 3-2 win, tallying 19 shots with 10 on goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Eric Axtman secured seven saves.
“After the loss to Loyola we were definitely fired up to come back with a win,” senior midfielder Eddie Grant said. “I think that definitely gave us some extra motivation. Going into the last few Patriot League games of the season, we wanted to pick up some momentum.”
The game began with a goal from Stony Brook in the 26th minute, turning up the heat for the Leopards. Freshman forward Max Fujimori responded with a header into the net in the 31st minute. Houlihan and junior forward Andrey McIntyre were then able to secure the win for the Leopards with one goal apiece. The victory meant that the Leopards finished the season with a winning non-conference record.
The team now heads into the weekend on a high note, ready to battle Bucknell at Gummeson Grounds tomorrow for its on Senior Day celebration.
Disclaimer: Assistant Sports Editor Eric Ponieman ’24 is a member of the men’s soccer team. He did not contribute writing or reporting.
