Garcia Nets First Goal as Staten Island Pulls Away From Men’s Soccer

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's soccer team tried to bounce back from Saturday's heartbreaker on Sunday afternoon as they took on the College of Staten Island to close out the Dolphins' opening weekend tournament. Freshman Kenneth Garcia (Elmhurst, N.Y./Bayside) scored his first collegiate goal, but the Dolphins broke open a one-goal game at half and handed the Bears a 7-1 defeat.

The Basics

• Final Score: Staten Island 7, St. Joseph's 1
• Records: Staten Island (1-1), St. Joseph's (0-2)
• Location: Staten Island, N.Y. — CSI Soccer Complex

How It Happened

• The first half was an evenly matched affair, as Logan Tassin gave Staten Island the lead in the 19th minute for the lone score before intermission.
• The Dolphins offense got going early as they scored twice in a span of 20 seconds just 10 minutes into the new period to push the lead to 3-0.
• Garcia spoiled the shutout and brought the Bears back within two, 3-1, when he rifled a 25-yard shot into the upper corner in the 62nd minute.
• The Dolphins didn't let SJC's momentum last, notching four more goals over the final 13 minutes to close out the game and seal their first win of the year.

For the Bears

• Kenneth Garcia established himself with three shots (two on goal), while netting his first goal in a Bears jersey.
• Freshman Brandon Georges (Brooklyn, N.Y./New Utrecht) assisted on the Garcia goal for his first collegiate point.
• Sophomore Mateusz Georges (Brooklyn, N.Y./New Utrecht) was aggressive, firing three shots with two of them being on goal.
• Sophomore keeper Julian Rodriguez (Whitestone, N.Y./Bayside) had another strong showing, saving three of the four shots he saw before being subbed out in the 51st minute, trailing 1-0.
• The Bears fired seven total shots, as opposed to CSI's 33 as the Dolphin's controlled most of the game.

The Bear Facts

• Garcia's goal was also the Bears first of the 2017 season.
• This is the first meeting with Staten Island in men's soccer program history.

Next Up for the Bears

• St. Joseph's continues a seven-game, non-conference stretch to start the season heading to Randall's Island Field 70 on Wednesday (Sep. 6) to take on the Bearcats of Baruch College. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.