In two impressive shutouts, both the Monmouth University men’s and women’s soccer teams defeated CAA opponent Stony Brook over the weekend. The men’s team took on the Seawolves on Friday, Sept. 30 and the women’s team on Sunday, Oct. 2, both at home.
In the first matchup between the two teams, the men’s soccer team (5-4-0, 1-4-0 CAA) defeated the Seawolves 3-0 in an impressive display of ability on both sides of the field. The game was only the second-ever meeting between the Hawks and the Seawolves, with the win for Monmouth bringing their all-time series record to 1-0-1.
In the game originally set for Saturday afternoon but moved due to inclement weather, the Hawks managed to limit the Seawolves’ scoring opportunities while producing many of their own. Monmouth’s first goal came in the 26th minute when forward Ben Zakowski picked up his fourth of the season off of an assist from midfielder Griffin Tomas. The goal also marks Zakowski’s 17th career goal.
The Hawks further solidified their lead entering halftime with an own goal from Stony Brook in the 39th minute. The final goal came in the 79th minute from midfielder Gabriel Miranda with Brett Seig credited for the assist. This was yet another momentous one for a Hawk, marking Miranda’s first career goal to solidify a 3-0 win over Stony Brook.
The win was not only a product of Monmouth’s offensive prowess. Goalie Eryk Dymora put on yet another outstanding performance, earning his 28th and 29th saves of the season. The game also brought Dymora to tie for fourth nationally with five shutouts on the season, and is currently ranked second in the CAA. The redshirt freshman was named CAA Co-Rookie of the Week for his outstanding performance, posting two shutouts this week for the Hawks – one against the Seawolves, and another against Saint Joseph’s earlier in the week on Tuesday, Sept. 27.
The rest of the Hawks also made significant contributions to the shutout, collectively allowing only five shots from Stony Brook compared to their own 16, 10 of which were on goal to surpass the Seahawks’ two. The numbers also are a testament to the physicality of the match. Monmouth earned 13 fouls and Stony Brook collected 16, and a total of 3 yellow cards were given out throughout the tough game – two to Monmouth, and one to Stony Brook.
In an equally hard-fought and competitive game, the women’s soccer team (9-2-1, 2-1-1 CAA) shutout the Seawolves (4-7-2, 1-2-1 CAA) 1-0. The women’s side of the match had a far more extensive history entering the contest- although the two teams had not met since 1995, Monmouth’s win brought their all-time record against Stony Brook to 10-0-0.
The single goal of the match was earned by defender Chloe Ferreira, who scored on a penalty kick in the 38th minute. Apart from the final score, the Hawks and Seawolves played a relatively even game, with Monmouth having sixteen shots to Stony Brook’s 10 and the two teams even at 10 shots on goal. The teams were also close in saves, with 10 for Monmouth and nine for Stony Brook, although Monmouth did have the advantage in corners with 10 to Stony Brook’s one.
Similar to the men’s matchup on Friday, the women’s team played a very physical game. Stony Brook was called for seven fouls for Monmouth’s nine, and another total of three yellow cards were issued, with Monmouth only receiving one out of the bunch.
The match was also significant for goalie Cassie Coster, who earned a season-high 10 saves against the Seawolves and her eighth shutout of the season, leading the CAA. Coster also leads the CAA in goals against average and save percentage, and has earned national recognition ranking in the top ten in the country in shutouts. She was named CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Week for her season-high performance against the Seawolves.
The match also brought the Hawks to seven conference points, tying them for third in the conference with five matches left.
The next matchup for the women is at home on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. against Hampton. The men take on their next opponent in Princeton against the Tigers on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.
