FLUSHING, NY – The College of Staten Island men's soccer team made program history Wednesday evening when the Dolphins faced nationally ranked No. 16 Queens College in Flushing, NY. After a scoreless first half that saw the Knights control much of the offensive pressure, the Dolphins came alive in the second half behind two goals from Dylan Meadows. The win marked CSI's first-ever Division II victory over Queens College and its first-ever Division II win over a nationally ranked opponent.
The early minutes of the contest were evenly matched, with both teams trading shots in an attempt to get on the scoreboard first. Queens, however, began to shift the momentum in its favor, outshooting the Dolphins 11-3 in the opening half. Carlos Romero Astacio, who was named this week's East Coast Conference (ECC) Goalkeeper of the Week, made two key saves to keep the game scoreless heading into halftime.
Queens continued to apply pressure in the second half and earned a penalty kick in the 73rd minute after an aggressive offensive push. With an opportunity to take the lead, the Knights sent the attempt high, keeping the score at nil.
Following the missed penalty kick, the Dolphins quickly turned the momentum in their favor. CSI controlled possession along the far left side of the field, with Meadows, Deniz Karcher, and Yair Roman connecting on a series of quick touches. Roman eventually found Meadows, who put the ball into the back of the net to give the Dolphins a 1-0 lead.
With the game winding down, both teams continued to create opportunities, recording at least two shots apiece in the final minutes. On a Knights free kick, Peterson Larose stepped in front of the ball's path and helped spark another opportunity for the Dolphins. Meadows took advantage, racing from one end of the field while working around a Queens defender before finding the bottom-right corner of the net to give CSI a 2-0 lead and secure the victory.
Meadows finished the night with both of the Dolphins' goals, while Roman recorded an assist and one shot. Karcher and Claidi Nurcja each finished with two shot attempts. Romero Astacio recorded four saves for his second shutout of the season.
The College of Staten Island men's soccer team (3-3-1, 1-0-1 ECC) will return to action this weekend when the Dolphins travel to Rochester, NY, to face Roberts Wesleyan at 4:00 PM.
GAME REPLAY
