FLUSHING, N.Y. – Playing their second home game of the season in three days, the Queens College men's soccer team (1-1) bounced back from the season opener loss with a 2-1 victory over the visiting Falcons of Bentley University Saturday evening at QC Soccer Field.
The Knights dominated from the opening whistle as the duo of
Leo Pinto (Forest Hills, N.Y.) and
Adolfo Martinez Paquet (Sevilla, Spain) notched a shot apiece in the opening 10 minutes.
Queens would continue to threaten in the first half as they dominated possession and kept the Falcons without a shot in the first half. But as the Falcons were held without a shot, their defense would continue to deny the opening goal the Knights continuously searched for.
The entry of rookie
Santiago Vargas (Bethpage, N.Y.) would spark new energy in the midfield for the Knights after the 29
th minute but Queens would have to go into halftime tied 0-0.
Both teams combined for seven shots in the opening nine of the second half but the match would remain tied until the 57
th minute as Pinto put on a dribbling clinic before a right-footed shot from 21 yards out curved into the bottom right corner for Queens' first goal of the season and put them ahead 1-0.
The Knights continued to be the aggressors as they looked to put the game away. The Falcons would deny a flying header from
Nicholas Tagios (East Williston, N.Y.) and Pinto shot on goal to keep the game 1-0.
Following a Knights throw into the 18-yard box, Tagios would find an open Paquet who blasted a shot from 30 yards out as the Sevilla native beat the Falcons' diving goalie into the bottom right corner for a 2-0 lead and his first goal of the season in the 72
nd minute of play.
However, the Falcons would cut the deficit down two minutes later as they took advantage of a Knights bad pass in the midfield to cut the score down to 2-1 as Bentley finally found one past Knights goalie
Dario Giovanni Cruz (Guadalajara, México) in the 74
th minute.
But Cruz and his defense would firm for the final 15 minutes of play to earn their first win of the game.
Match Highlights
- Pinto notched his first goal and third overall since October 16, 2019, when the Knights defeated UDC 7-3 on the road.
- Paquet tallied his first game-winner of the season, while Tagios tallied his fourth career assist.
- The trio of Pinto, Paquet, and Tagios combined for 12 shots (4 shots on goal) as the Knights led a 21-6 shot margin (6-3 shots on goal).
- Queens held a 5-2 margin in corner kicks.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Frank Vertullo and his Knights continue their three-match non-conference homestand on Wednesday (Aug. 31) as they host the Griffins of Chestnut Hill College in game two of a midweek doubleheader. Kickoff is set for 7:00 P.M.
