Box Score The College of Staten Island men's soccer team won back-to-back games for the first time this season, taking a 3-1 win over NYU-Poly in non-conference play earlier today at the CSI Soccer Complex. The Dolphins improved to 3-8-1 overall while the Fighting Blue Jays fell to 0-6-1 overall.
CSI controlled the game statistically from start to finish. Still, it was tough for the Dolphins to register quality scoring chances, especially with NYU-Poly keeper Rishi Sarkar making a host of great plays breaking up would-be crosses and shots. The persistent Dolphins, however would not give up, and after earning three straight corner kicks in a span of three minutes, the home team struck first when
Brandon Cadmen's corner found the head of
Christian Chirinos who headed a ball down that skipped past a defender and into the goal to give CSI a 1-0 lead 20:13 into the game.
The Dolphins almost got themselves a big second goal later in the frame, but a
Nicholas Bacarella bending shot rocketed off of the crossbar. CSI took the 1-0 lead into intermission instead, earning a heavy, 14-2, edge in shots.
In the second frame, NYU-Poly was more on the offensive, but CSI's back line of Chirinos,
Jacob Szumanski, Cadmen, and
Anh Le, kept the Blue Jays at bay. CSI was waiting for the right counter-attacking moment to get their second goal. Bacarella found
Thomas Vazquez in the middle of the pitch, who found a streaking
Daniel Tsygankov who ripped a shot into the far side of the net to give CSI a 2-0 lead with 29:01 to play.
With time winding down, CSI added a goal with 7:11 remaining, on a Bacarella shot on a feed from
Ali Fares that got past Poly keeper Alex Nociforo, who came on in relief of Sarkar, who finished with 14 saves. CSI's bid for a shutout, however, was thwarted with 1:38 to play when Carlos Fildago scored into a wide open net when he received a rebound from a clearing attempt by CSI keeper
John Gioeli, who had to race out of his box to make a play to prevent a breakaway.
CSI led the shot count, 32-8 (18-3 on goal). Gioeli made two saves to earn the win, while Tsygankov led all scorers to come off of the bench and post seven shots, six on goal.
The Dolphins will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon, hosting John Jay College as part of CUNYAC action at 4pm.
