Men's Soccer Suffers HVIAC Setback to Sarah Lawrence

YONKERS, N.Y. – Despite the first collegiate goal by freshman Giuseppe Porretto (Queens, N.Y./Christ the King), the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's soccer team suffered a 4-1 setback to Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC) member Sarah Lawrence on Wednesday night at Tibbetts Brook Park.

St. Joseph's (0-6, 0-2) remains winless on the season while Sarah Lawrence (3-6, 3-2) moves over .500 in league play and has won two games in a row.

The first ten minutes of action saw both teams feeling each other out with no real scoring opportunities but come the 11th minute the action picked up as Porretto had two great scoring chances but was unable to connect sending two shots high.

The Gryphons would break the scoreless tie in the 21st minute on a goal by Rodrigo Cuenca off a free kick that found its way past Bears freshman goalkeeper Aaron Baker (New York, N.Y./Martin Luther King Jr. HS (GA)) who was making his collegiate debut in net.

The action went back and forth with each team having scoring opportunities until just before halftime when Sarah Lawrence tacked on another goal in the 40th minute to give themselves a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.

The beginning of the second stanza was a chaotic period of the game as the Gryphons scored a third goal less than two minutes into the action off a breakaway to build a 3-0 lead. However, the Bears responded 54 seconds later when Porretto fired a high shot that found its way past the Sarah Lawrence goalkeeper to cut the deficit to 3-1.

St. Joseph's picked up their intensity but were unable to breakthrough with another goal and the Gryphons took advantage scoring in the 81st minute to build an insurmountable 4-1 lead.

Baker impressed in his debut in net finishing with seven saves in taking the loss.

Porretto finished the game with five shots while senior Adam Comollo (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery HS) and sophomore Matthew O'Neill (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) each recorded three shots apiece.

The Bears return to action on Saturday, October 5th taking on HVIAC foe King's (N.Y.) at Brooklyn Technical High School at 1 p.m.