Bears Soccer Notches First Win of Season Dominating Vaughn

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's soccer team exploded for five first half goals en route to a 5-1 victory over Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference foe Vaughn College on Wednesday afternoon at Calvert Vaux Park for the Bears' first win of the season.

St. Joseph's (1-5, 1-2 HVMAC) was led by freshman Matthew O'Neill (Brooklyn, NY/St. Edmund Prep) who tallied the first three goals of his career and recorded his first hat trick. The freshman also assisted on another goal to finish with seven points, second most in a single game in team history.

The Bears dominated the opening stanza maintaining an 18-6 shot advantage.

O'Neill opened up the scoring in the 24th minute off a tremendous ball from a corner kick taken by freshman Thomas Kennedy (Breezy Point, NY/St. Edmund Prep). O'Neill would assist on the eventual game-winner five minutes later setting up Raul Urshela (Orlando, FL/Colonial), who netted his third of the season.

O'Neill tacked on two quick goals in a span of a minute with one coming off an assist by Deleon Johnson (Toronto, Canada/Roosevelt), completing the hat trick.

The Bears would conclude their scoring late in the half when freshman Kyle Johnson (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook Central) took a deflection off a defender and put it in the back of the net for his second goal of the season, to give the Bears a commanding 5-0 lead.

Vaughn (1-6, 0-5 HVMAC) would score their only goal just before halftime on a penalty kick by Juan Ramirez.

Despite the 5-1 deficit at the break, the Warriors responded by upping the pressure on the Bears and outshot St. Joseph's 16-5 in the second half. However, the Bears defense stayed strong as they were led by sophomore goalkeeper Michael Miner (Schenevus, NY/Schenevus) who made seven saves in the second half to maintain a scoreless second half and finished with nine saves for the win.

Ramirez finished with a game-high 12 shots, four coming in frame to lead the Warrirors. Antonio Diaz made five saves in absorbing the loss.

St. Joseph's continues a stretch of five-straight HVMAC contests, traveling north to Hyde Park, NY to face The Culinary Institute of America on Sunday, October 14 starting at 1:00 pm.