The College of Staten Island men’s soccer side officially kicked off their season on Saturday, and were victorious against St. Joseph’s College of Long Island.  Today they will usher in the home portion of their schedule against St. Joseph’s other campus in Brooklyn.  CSI took a big win over the Bears last year and will look to stay strong today and keep their unblemished record intact.

CSI VS. ST. JOSEPH’S (BK) AT-A-GLANCE
Matchup:  CSI (1-0)  vs. St. Joseph’s – BK (0-1)
Where: CSI Soccer Complex – 2800 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, NY
Live Video/Audio:  http://www.csidolphins.com/CSISportsNet
Live Stats:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/csi/msoc
All-Time Series: Tied 1-1
Last Meeting: September 3, 2017 – CSI won, 7-1
Players to Watch (CSI): The Dolphins’ office ripped off three goals in their opener, including one by sophomore Bryant Navarro, who tied for the team lead last year with six markers.  Philip Lefkowitz added a goal, giving him nine for his career.  Necomer Carlos Montesinos registered CSI’s first goal off the season and the first of his career as well.  Christian Carucci went 90 minutes between the pipes for CSI, making four saves in the win.  Newcomer Macki Dougoune paced CSI with four shots in the game.  Look for him to be valuable in the midfield.
Players to Watch (SJC): Sophomore Kenneth Garcia led the Bears in scoring last season, notching six goals, and he was the only goal scorer on Saturday, when SJC fell to Hunter College, 3-1.  Look for Mateusz Georges to also be valuable on the pitch generating offense as well.  Eric Santiago Torres in the back and goalkeeper Alejandro Oliveros went the full 90 on Saturday for St. Joseph’s, so look for them to try and calm the CSI rush this afternoon.  Despite the loss on Saturday, Oliveros made three saves.
News & Notes: After a 13-year layoff between games, CSI and St. Joseph’s renewed their rivalry last year, seeing CSI take a 7-1 win.  The game was a 1-0 affair at halftime before CSI erupted for six goals in the final 45.  The game featured seven different goal scorers for CSI including the first career goals for Navarro, Joe Bolella, and Wilson Quintero, who are all entering their sophomore seasons.  Garcia was the goal scorer for SJC.  In 2004 when they met for the first time ever, the Bears scored a 5-2 win in Brooklyn.  The Dolphins today are looking to start the season 2-0 for only the second time since 2003.  The last time they did it was two years ago.  CSI is just 1-4 in home openers in the last five years.  St. Joseph’s is looking for a rebound after a 1-14-1 season last year.