The men’s soccer team returned to Gummeson Grounds last week, winning 2-1 against Fairfield University on Saturday and tying 0-0 with Long Island University on Tuesday.
The Leopards (2-3-1 overall) came out firing in the first half against Fairfield (2-2 overall), with their first look coming at the 15th minute. Sophomore defender Jackson Vajada found freshman forward Nicolas Papadopoulos open in the box, but his one-toucher was denied by the Stags.
“Trying a new formation in the first game is a little nerve-racking,” said senior goalkeeper Eric Axtman of head coach Dennis Bohn’s recent adjustments to the team’s formation and personnel.
Junior midfielder Samir Dishnica struck first in the 26th minute. Junior defender Cole Duschang found sophomore forward Riley Martin sprinting down the right side of the field. Once Martin beat his man, he dished the ball out to Dishnica, who tucked the ball into the bottom right corner.
“I think the mindset going in was, this game has to be one we got to defend our home,” Duschang said. “Don’t lose at Gummeson Grounds.”
The Maroon and White extended their lead just eight minutes later. Papadopoulos pounced on a poor Stag pass to their goalie and managed a two-touch finish to take advantage of the error.
Within two minutes, the visitors got on the board to make it a one-goal contest. The Stags won a corner kick to set up a header that was snuck past Axtman.
The second half, although chippy and filled with multiple cards, saw no goals scored by either team. Among the two teams, five yellow cards and two red cards were issued in the period, causing multiple clock stoppages. The Leopards held on to secure the 2-1 victory.
“I thought we executed very well,” Axtman said. “People really bought into our tactics and understanding their role, which was great.”
Defense was the name of the game on Tuesday against Long Island (2-0-3 overall). Both teams put up double-digit shots with 10 for the Leopards and 13 for the Sharks.
Only six of those shots came in the first half, with the closest call coming in the 42nd minute when Axtman handled the Sharks’ rush to the goal.
“While we weren’t on the stat sheet, I think we got really dangerous on the offensive end,” Axtman said. “Obviously, keeping a shutout is always positive.”
The second half saw more than double the action, with 17 total shots across both teams. The best chance for the Maroon and White came in the 82nd minute, as junior midfielder Griffin Feather whipped a shot into the box that found Martin, who in turn, headed it to freshman forward Tommy Clark.
Clark’s quick shot missed just right of the goal. Neither team could find the back of the net for the rest of the period, and the game ended in a scoreless draw.
The Leopards return to Gummeson Grounds on Saturday for their first Patriot League challenge against Bucknell University (3-1-1 overall).
“We’re super excited to go into Saturday’s game,” Duschang said. “From what I’ve heard, they play a similar formation to us, so that’s an interesting matchup.”