The men’s soccer team (2-3-1 Patriot League, 7-5-3 overall) bounced back from a disappointing 1-0 loss to American University (3-2-1 Patriot League, 4-5-5 overall) on Saturday by defeating Stony Brook University (3-8-3 overall) 4-2 on Wednesday night.
The Maroon and White entered the match against American in good form, following four consecutive undefeated games. There was little to separate the two sides in the first half, with both teams registering four shots combined.
The Leopards would have the best chance of the half after senior forward Lawrence Aydlett intercepted the ball in the American half and sprung freshman midfielder Cade Maglione, who raced forward before playing a one-two with sophomore forward Roy Biegon, but the freshman was flagged for offside on the return pass.
The two sides traded chances in the second half, but it was the Eagles who stole a point in the 87th minute after recycling the ball from a Leopard clearance. The loss puts the Leopards outside of a playoff place with three conference games left.
Looking to regroup before the final leg of the season, the Leopards hosted Stony Brook at home in their final non-conference matchup of the year. Just two minutes into the match, the Leopards fell behind after a Seawolf winger raced past the Leopards’ defense and fired the ball beyond junior goalkeeper Eric Axtman.
“Within the first two or three minutes, you don’t want to be giving up a goal,” sophomore defender Cole Duschang said. “But I think it was a great wake-up call for us and we knew we had to show a lot of passion and a lot of courage.”
The Leopards would score the next three goals in the match, with the first two goals coming from the center back pairing of Duschang and junior defender Nicholas Liebich. Both goals came from set pieces, with Duschang heading home from a free kick in the eighth minute and Liebich firing home a rebound in the 10th minute.
“It’s great to have the center backs scoring,” Duschang said. “You need everyone scoring on the field, not just the strikers and midfielders.”
Senior forward Andrey McIntyre would add a third in the 22nd minute. Axtman caught the ball cleanly from a Stony Brook corner before hurling the ball the length of the field to find a streaking McIntyre, who weaved past his defender before calmly slotting the ball inside the far post.
Stony Brook would cut the lead to one in the closing minutes of the first half, scoring from a direct free kick.
The goal seemed to galvanize the Seawolves, who came out on the front foot in the second half, outshooting the Leopards 7-2. According to Duschang, those moments of defending are where the team thrives.
“Everyone’s great at it and everyone’s putting their bodies on the line,” Duschang said. “When we’re all communicating, working for each other and playing for each other — that’s when you know we’re at our best.”
The pressure would be relieved in the 75th minute when the Leopards found their fourth goal. Maglione controlled the ball inside the Stony Brook half before sending McIntyre through. McIntyre then found the run of Biegon, who tapped in to seal the game for the Leopards.
“Roy just knows where to be, he’s a natural goalscorer,” McIntyre said. “It’s just about being unselfish and trusting your teammate. If I give him the ball, I know what’s going to happen.”
The Leopards sit one point out of a playoff place and take on Loyola Maryland (3-2-1 Patriot League, 4-6-3 overall) Saturday afternoon at home with a chance to make a leap in the standings.
“It’s going to take all 34 people who are a part of this program to secure a spot in the playoffs,” Duschang said. “We’re going to see what Saturday holds for us and hopefully it’s in our hands.”
