The College of Staten Island women’s soccer team took on Medgar Evers College this afternoon at the CSI Soccer Complex in CUNYAC play. The Dolphins missed chances early on but were able to convert two in the second half to take a 2-0 win over the Cougars and move to 5-3-1 overall and 2-1 in the CUNYAC while the Cougars fell to 2-5 overall and 0-3 in the CUNYAC.
Today’s CUNYAC win over the Cougars bumped the Dolphins from third in the standings to first after Hunter dropped a game to Lehman College. CSI is not 4-2-1 at home with the pair of losses coming against last year’s CUNYAC Champions, CCNY, and the now No. 1 team in the country, Rowan University.
The Dolphins struggled to find the goal early on in this afternoon’s game as the rifled off 12 shots but only two of them found the frame which made the keeper work. Dolphins shot totals led to a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks in the first half alone. Ilir Papraniku had his fair share of headers that went wide of the target off of the corner kicks.
Marcin Klim, the Dolphins’ leading goal scorer, had a golden opportunity to put the Dolphins up 1-0 in the 38th minute when he found himself one-on-one with Kevin Ngwolo. Klim, who normally tucks those opportunities away with ease, hit a soft shot that Ngwolo was able to save.
Coach John Tardy would give his team a pep talk at the half along with some new tactics to invigorate his offense to try to find their first goal of the game.
Dardan Nika scored what would become the game winning goal in the 52nd minute of the game after Ali Fares slotted the ball through two defenders and put Nika into position to play a shot near post past an outstretched Ngwolo. Fares would record his third assist of the year, a team high, while Nika’s goal was the first of the year for him.
Klim would put the game away in the 80th minute with his 9th of the season after he stole the ball from the last man to put him in another one-on-one situation with Ngwolo. Klim would make sure not to miss this opportunity as he curled one near post to give the Dolphins a 2-0 lead.
Jake Foeldes recorded his sixth shutout of the year and only had to make three saves to do it.
The Dolphins return to their home pitch on Wednesday against another CUNYAC opponent, Baruch College at 4pm.