POSTGAME INTERVIEWS | The College of Staten Island men’s soccer program needed a late penalty kick from freshman Joe Bolella at the CSI Soccer Complex to help the Dolphins defeat the Gryphons 2-1. The win bumps the Dolphins up to 2-1 on the year while knocking the Gryphons down to 0-2 on the year.
Staten Island controlled the pace of the game early on but it was the Gryphons that struck first after being awarded a penalty kick in the early stages of the first half. Just seven minutes into the game Camary Jonas would step to the spot and have his attempt blocked by freshman keeper Oscar Torres. Torres was unable to reach the rebound shot that was put in the back of the net by Alix Legrand.
The Dolphins would have to wait long to tie the game up as a long Ryan Layman pass was intercepted by a Gryphons defender only to have Philip Lefkowitz take it away and tuck it near post underneath Mehran Hicks to knot the game up at one. From that point on the Dolphins kept the foot on the pedal and had several chances to double their lead but struggled to find the back of the net.
Bolella was subbed on in the 30th minute and made an instant impact after stepping on the pitch. The freshman would send one wide left nearly missing the post just before he would find himself on the end of a cross that he headed just over the crossbar.
Sarah Lawrence and Staten Island would head into the half knotted up at one. The Dolphins held an 8-4 edge in shots however it was the Gryphons that were more efficient as three of their four shots forced Torres to make a save.
In the second half, the Dolphins turned it up and uncorked 12 more shots in the second half with a few of them barely missing their mark. Bolella would see one of his headers bounce off of the post and the other, saved at point-blank range by Hicks. Bolella would catch a break when he was taken out in the box and rewarded with a penalty kick for his un-relentlessness to be denied. He would calmly place it to the bottom right corner for what would turn into the game-winner the Dolphins were so desperately seeking.
The defense for the Dolphins also had a nice outing, holding the Gryphons to just 9 shots on the day and locked down the opposition’s forwards. Dardan Nika, in the 89th minute, almost gave the Dolphins a third goal but saw his shot just missed wide left. The Dolphins were able to wrap up the game with their second win in a row as they get ready to head up to Auburndale, MA for a non-conference game against Lasell College.
