A day after their would-be soccer matchup was canceled due to lightning storms, the College of Staten Island men’s soccer team took on King’s College of Pennsylvania today at the CSI Soccer Complex. Despite high hopes, the Monarchs downed the Dolphins, 5-0, thanks to four second-half goals in a 15-minute span that improved King’s to 4-1 overall, while the Dolphins fell to a winless, 0-4.
King’s College had two quality chances early on in the game but the Dolphins’ defense came up big with two blocks. The Monarchs, however, were converting CSI turnovers into quick opportunities, and the visitors wasted no time getting on the scoreboard after a turnover in midfield as Daniel Hernandez was able to dribble around a few defenders and toe a ball in the lower right corner of the goal to put the Monarchs up 1-0 just eight minutes into the game.
The Monarchs almost put another one on the board when Brian Fenster connected perfectly with a volley that careened off the crossbar which was then cleared out by the Dolphins’ defense. The Dolphins had their best chance of the first half when Alfonso Castaneda received a ball over the top and was able to get a shot on goal that was parried wide by keeper Tyler Wilson. That attack seemed to ignite the Dolphins’ offense as they started to possess the ball and got off the next four shots.
Despite a lapse in the first few minutes of the first half, the Dolphins stayed relatively even with the Monarchs, but that certainly changed in the second stanza. From the opening kickoff of the second half, the Monarchs capitalized via a turnover as they were able to slot a through ball in where Chris Nygren was able to shoot the ball far post just out of Daniel Raffo’s reach just 11 seconds into the half. That seemed to send the Dolphins into a daze. Just over five minutes later, Niall Croke blasted in a free kick from just outside the box, when the Dolphins inexplicably broke up their wall before the ball was struck.
CSI then caught a break when Alfonso Castaneda was awarded a penalty kick with 38 minutes remaining in the second half, but Wilson was up to the task, blocking the well-placed shot. From that point, the Dolphins again were caught napping, and King’s was able to quickly re-set the ball and run though a dejected Dolphins squad, scoring an easy goal against Raffo to build a 4-0 lead.
King’s College would go on to score one more goal and win the game 5-0.
King’s led the final shot tally, 20-12. Wilson made five saves for the Monarchs in over 73 minutes of play. CSI had seven corner kicks to King’s four.
The Dolphins are back in action on Wednesday, September 10, where they will travel to face Rowan University under the lights at 7pm.
