STATEN ISLAND, NY – The College of Staten Island men's soccer team returned to Dolphins Soccer Park on Saturday afternoon for an East Coast Conference (ECC) matchup against the #18 Mercy University Mavericks as part of their Senior Day celebrations. Prior to kickoff, the Dolphins honored seven seniors for their accomplishments on and off the pitch: Matthew Beaton, Torin Mitchell-Mehta, Aikhoje Alakhume, Alfie Chalmers, Koray Arslan, Carlos Romero Astacio, and Luca Schelling.
The Dolphins put up a fight against the nationally ranked Mavericks, entering halftime tied at 1-1 after erasing an early deficit. However, Mercy regained the lead in the second half and added a late goal to secure a 3-1 victory, dropping the Dolphins to 4-5-2 overall and 2-2-2 in conference play.
Throughout the first half, the Mavericks outshot the Dolphins by a narrow 8-6 margin. The visitors wasted no time creating an opportunity, recording a shot just 27 seconds into regulation. The Dolphins quickly found their offensive rhythm, as Peterson Larose recorded CSI's first shot moments later but couldn't find the mark. Midway through the first half, the Mavericks found the back of the net following a Dolphins foul to take a 1-0 lead.
Just over 15 minutes later, Dylan Meadows dispossessed a Maverick in the visitors' territory, setting up Peterson Larose to find Feyisope Osifeso for the equalizing goal. The score remained tied at 1-1 heading into halftime.
In the second half, the Mavericks maintained their offensive pressure, outshooting CSI 10-4. Mercy converted two of those attempts into goals, including the final tally in the closing seconds of the contest, to hand the Dolphins a 3-1 ECC defeat.
Larose led the Dolphins with four shots and an assist, while Osifeso accounted for CSI's lone goal. Meadows recorded two shots, while Claidi Nurcja, Emmanuel Kambouris, and John Quizhpe each added one attempt. Romero Astacio finished the afternoon with four saves.
The College of Staten Island men's soccer team will return to action next Saturday for another ECC contest against the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, DC, at 2:00 PM.
GAME REPLAY
