The Men’s Soccer team opened CAA play at home as they faced Stony Brook. On the night of Sept. 7, the Hawks flew onto the field against the Seawolves where they ultimately ended in a tied game of 2-2.
The Men’s Soccer team started the night off strong with midfielder Erik Reis scoring in the first ten minutes. Reis rocketed the ball into the back of the net at 10:38 on the clock. This comes after the senior’s initial attempt was blocked by the Stony Brook goalie, Sandy Rushon. The Hawks moved the ball inside the box where Reis immediately got the rebound and put the ball in the net to give the team a 1-0 lead.
Monmouth saw a shot by both forward Victor Andersson and defender Bastian Hatcher earlier in the game. The Hawks heavily applied the pressure on the Seawolves as Stony Brook was unable to score in the first half. It was in the first half where goalkeeper Eryk Dymora produced three crucial saves to keep Stony Brook off the board and Monmouth in the lead. Monmouth University took the lead into the second period with a score of 1-0.
Soaring into the second half midfielder Patrick Osiecki powered a shot toward Stony Brook’s net where their goalkeeper came up for the save. Osiecki made another shot on goal in the 69th minute which was once again saved by Rushon. As the two teams battled it out on the field, both teams did not see another goal until the 67th minute when after intercepting the ball around midfield, Reis dashed into the box to score his second goal of the evening. As the battle continued, momentum began to form on Stony Brook’s side when they scored at 74:57.
Taking charge on the field the Hawks kept the fight up for the next 14 minutes when no team saw an extra point. Monmouth kept up the pressure but was unable to extend their lead. In the last minute of the game, Stony Brook was awarded a free kick due to a late foul. The game finished in a 2-2 draw as the Seawolves were able to get through the Hawks defense.
This game moved the score to 2-0-2 on the year with a tie. This is the second straight tie after the Hawks versed Iona University on Sept. 1. Reis scored for the third straight game. This marks the first time a Hawk has scored in three consecutive games since Ben Zakowski did so in September of last year. Dymora has currently made at least four saves in every match so far this season. Midfielder Carl Valgma started for the first time since last September as well as midfielder Chris Morandi making his first appearance of the season.
In the previous game, a non-conference game against Iona University, the Hawks tied the game 1-1. The Hawks excelled in the first period with Reis scoring in the first seven minutes. With an assist from forward Jakob Friedman, this midfielder rocketed a shot into the back of the net from the top near the corner of the box. Three consecutive saves from Dymora helped keep the Gaels at no goals. The battle continued as both teams continued to push forward.
Multiple shots were attempted by players such as midfielder Sean Cadigan, and Reis which were saved by Iona goalie Fernando Schmelz, as well as defender Gabe Dahlin and Osiecki but none of which saw the back of the net.
The second period was no less interesting as both teams continued in the race to secure a goal. Shots fired by both teams in the first tenminutes kept the pressure in the game alive. In the sixty-third minute, Osiecki attempted a shot on goal for Monmouth, but Schmelz made the save. It was not until the seventy-eight minutes that Iona got one past Dymora, tying the game. As both teams raced to score another goal both were unsuccessful keeping the game tied 1-1. It was this game that Reis scored in two straight matches earning him a tie for the team lead with two goals scored through three contests.
Dymora’s seven saves in this game matched his career-high saves in a game as Friedman recorded his third assist of the season, leading the team. This was the first time the two teams met since 2021.
The Monmouth Men’s Soccer team will host La Salle on Tuesday Sept. 10 at 7 pm.
