The College of Staten Island’s men’s soccer team fell to Brooklyn College in a close, 3-2, finish held at the CSI Soccer Complex on Wednesday afternoon. The Dolphins drop to a 0-5-1 record while taking there first loss in conference play, 0-1. Brooklyn extends to a 2-0-1 record and grabbed their first CUNY win of the season, 1-0.
 
The Bulldogs set the pace of the game scoring two goals in under five minutes of play. Just 2:50 into the game, Drilon Sahitaj scored on a wide open shot off a two assist pass starting at Igor Kozlov to Rondel King. Almost two minutes later, on what looked like a long cross pass, King scored the second goal for Brooklyn from atleast 40 yards away, again on a pass from Kozlov. At the 32 minute mark, sophomore Mack Diller scored, what would be the winning goal for the Bulldogs, on a penalty kick right past the hands of CSI goalie Ahmed El-Ghareib.
 
Lirim Begai started scoring off for the Dolphins with 17:36 into the first half after he rebounded Dong Luu’s corner kick. Less than two minutes later, another Luu rebound was scored by Paully Awad with the help of Giovanni Cortese. With four minutes left in the first half, Ruslan Alabashev was given a yellowcard.
 
Despite a scoreless second half there was tons of action. A total of 13 shots were taken (CSI-7, Brooklyn-6), there were 12 fouls called, 11 on Brooklyn, and four yellowcards. With nine minutes left in regulation CSI’s Begai was given a warning followed by an El-Ghareib yellow just 30 seconds later. Brooklyn received two yellows with five minutes left in play from Mario Guerrero and a minute later by Diller.
 
The Dolphins out-shot Brooklyn, 18-11. Begai took six shots for CSI including five on-goal. Orsi Bermudez-Reyes took three shots with one on goal. Keeper El-Ghareib totaled three saves.
 
Two shots apiece were taken by Diller, Sahitaj, Pajtim Gjonbalaj and Duane Heaven. Goalie Stamatis Boundouris had seven saves for the Bulldogs.
 
CSI will resume play on Friday, Spetember 17, as they travel to Throggs Neck, NY, to face SUNY-Maritime in a 5:00 pm game.