In a battle of the CUNYAC's two remaining undefeated squads, the College of Staten Island used three late goals to distance themselves from visiting Brooklyn College, 3-1, at the CSI Soccer Complex this evening. The win lifted the Dolphins to an 8-0-1 overall mark and 3-0 in CUNYAC play, while the loss dipped the Bulldogs to 7-1 overall and 2-1 in the conference.
Having not allowed a goal all season, BC certainly seemed poised for another shutout when they took a 1-0 lead into intermission. The visitors survived an early CSI flurry, as CSI had a series of chances in the first 10 minutes. The most notable of which came at 9:05, when CSI leading goal scorer
Samantha Wysokowski was seemingly taken down in the goal box, prompting an eruption from the team but no call from the officials as Wysokowski's shot dribbled wide of BC keeper Kimberly Chacko.
CSI had a couple of more shots fall wide before BC capitalized on what would be its only shot in the frame. A turnover near midfield prompted a Bulldogs rush, when Shani Abrahams was able to fend off a CSI defender and work a cross in the goal box that Jordan Kerwin was able to head into the top right corner passed an outstretched
Victoria Donegan for the goal at 21:14 of the first frame. The Dolphins would post the next seven shots, forcing Chacko to make three saves, and although CSI controlled statistically, leading the shot count, 11-1, the Bulldogs held fast to their one goal lead.
From there, CSI was forced to get offensive, but were thwarted by the BC defense which came in riding seven straight shutouts to start the 2013 season. CSI registered just a single shot in the first 20 minutes of the second stanza, but then the floodgates opened, and after three shots in a span of two minutes, CSI finally hit paydirt at 69:52. A blast by Wysokowski was saved but fumbled by Chacko, and
Danielle Alexandrini was there for the Dolphins to deliver the ball into goal to knot the score at 1-1. It broke BC's shutout streak at an amazing 699:52.
The goal pushed momentum in CSI's favor, and no sooner did play began when Wysokowski took a loose ball from 35 yards out and ran in to take a long distance shot that bent into the crossbar and passed Chacko, to give CSI a 2-1 edge just 58 seconds later. CSI almost put the game on ice less than nine minutes later, when a
Gabriela Romero shot boomed off of the inside of the goal post.
Forced to get offensive, BC started to push up field and despite several attempts on goal turned aside by CSI defensemen
Natalie Tombasco,
Amanda Percaccio, and
Nicole Molinell, BC appeared to get the break they needed when Kerwin came wide open in the middle of the field, beating the CSI offside trap and coming in one-on-one with goalkeeper Donegan with just over three minutes later. Kerwin delivered a blast on net, but an attacking Donegan met the shot mid-flight, and covered up to not allow a rebound as BC's best scoring opportunity of the night was turned aside.. From there, play was almost exclusively in the BC end, and after earning a corner kick, Alexandrini delivered a ball in the box for CSI which was first headed on by
Kyrsta Percaccio before falling at the feet of
Demi-Jean Martorano, who punched in CSI's third goal with just 48 ticks left to give CSI all the insurance it would need.
For the game, CSI out-shot BC, 24-6 (12-4 on goal). Donegan made three saves in the win, while Chacko chalked up 9 saves in defeat. Wysokowski led the charge with 9 shots, including four on goal. CSI earned 11 corner kicks to none for Brooklyn, but were whistled for 12 fouls to BC's four.
CSI is next in action on October 2, when they take to the road to face City College of New York in another CUNYAC test. The game time and venue for that contest is yet to be determined. The 8-0-1 start for the Dolphins is the finest in program history, and the win advanced CSI's win skein over CUNYAC opponents in the regular season to 18 straight games dating back to 2010.
