The College of Staten Island men’s soccer team saw their season-opening three-game conference win streak snapped, falling to visiting Lehman College, 1-0, in a match played earlier this afternoon at the CSI Soccer Complex. The loss dipped the Dolphins down to 3-4-1 overall and 3-1 in the CUNYAC, while the Lightning improved to 5-4, 3-1, respectively.
Offensively, it was a frustrating afternoon for both teams, as the sides struggled for quality chances throughout the 90 minutes. It took a penalty shot goal from Momar Thiam at 74:21 to prove the final result.
Keepers Ahmed El-Ghareib (CSI) and Marcos Coto-Batres (LC) combined to make 9 first half saves, both none truly tested the men between the pipes, as both teams consistently settled for long-range and low percentage markers. Lehman made a series of runs with Assami Valian and Oumar Niang making runs but the visitors failed to earn a quality chance as El-Ghareib turned in six saves. CSI managed just three shots on goal, the only test coming on an early free-kick by Alfonso Casteneda that was handled routinely by Coto-Batres.
The chances were few and far between for both sides in the second stanza as well. Lehman held the final edge in shots at 10-4, but El-Ghareib only had to make four saves, two of which came on counterattacking attempts after Lehman scored. The Dolphins only managed a single shot until inside of 10 minutes when they put three more together, but none were on goal as CSI never truly penetrated late.
Thiam was spilled in the box in the 74th minute earning his penalty shot. He put a soft shot into the lower right hand corner as El-Ghareib broke left in goal.
Lehman led the final shot count 19-8 (11-3 on goal) and held a 7-0 edge in corner kicks. Both teams committed seven fouls, CSI’s Chris Chirinos and Sean Andrada were both issued yellow cautions while Lehman’s Wilfredo Arbieto-Lopez was shown his second yellow and a red at 89:30 after a hard collision with CSI’s Orsi Bermudez-Reyes.
CSI will be back in action as part of CSI Homecoming on Saturday, October 1 at 10:00am. They will face the NYPD “B” Travel team in an exhibition scrimmage.
