FLUSHING, N.Y. – In one of the more physical games played this season which saw a combined 37 fouls and 12 yellow cards raised, the Queens College men's soccer team held off a second-half charge from the visiting Griffins of Chestnut Hill College Wednesday night at QC Soccer Field.
Led by freshman
Bryce Cherry's (Amityville, N.Y.) first collegiate goal and sophomore
Adolfo Martinez Paquet's (Sevilla, Spain) second goal of the season, the Knights defeated the Griffins 2-1 to improve to 2-1 on the young season.
Queens led the charge from the start as they maintained the majority of possession to start the contest. Senior
Leo Pinto (Forest Hills, N.Y.) led the opening barrage with two shots on goal, but he would be denied both times.
After an offside was called on the Griffins, the Knights would counterattack as junior
Nicholas Tagios (East Williston, N.Y.) notched two shots but was unable to find the back of the net in the 20
th and 21
st minutes of play.
Freshman
Kevin Johnson (Oakdale, N.Y.) blast in the 26
th minute in the penalty box would be denied by an alert Griffins' goalie.
As Queens continued to press, the fouls continued to rise. After a foul in the 34
th awarded tje Knights a free kick just outside the box, Paquet delivered a perfect cross for Cherry to head home the first goal of the contest and opening his account.
Leading 1-0, Queens maintained kept the intensity as they looked to double their lead. As sophomore
Juan Monge Allue (Zaragoza, Spain) dribbled past the Griffins' defense and a 1-on-1 chance for a 2=0 lead, a Chestnut Hill foul would award the Knights a penalty kick in the 41
st minute inside the box.
Paquet stepped up to the task and would deliver with a rocket towards the top right corner past the diving Griffins goalie for a 2-0 lead.
The first half saw 18 fouls and four yellow cards handed out as the Knights held a 9-1 shots advantage.
Out of halftime, the Knights looked to put the game away but a shot by Tagios in the 50
th minute would once again be denied.
The Griffins would get a goal back in the 71
st minute as they looked to make a comeback.
The final 20 minutes of play would see five yellow cards but the Knights' defense stayed determined to close their three-game home stand on a high note and take a two-game winning streak into their next contest as Queens defeated Chestnut Hill 2-1.
Match Highlights
- Cherry notched the first collegiate goal of his career.
- Paquet scored his second game-winner of the season in as many contests and earned his first assist of the season as he tallied three points on the evening.
- In goal, Dario Giovanni Cruz (Guadalajara, México) made three saves on the night.
- The trio of Pinto, Paquet, and Cherry combined for nine shots (7 shots on goal) as the Knights held a 14-4 shot margin (10-4 shots on goal).
- Queens held a 3-0 margin in corner kicks.
- The Knights defeated the Griffins for the first time at home improving their series record to 3-2 overall, and 1-2 in Flushing.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Frank Vertullo and his Knights hit the road for the first time this season as they travel to Manchester, NH on Saturday (Sept. 3) as they match up against the Penmen of Southern New Hampshire University. Kickoff is set for 4:00 P.M.
For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), Twitter (@QCKnights), and Instagram (qcknightsny), men's soccer (qcmsoccer).
