DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – On Wednesday afternoon, the Queens College men's soccer team opened a two-game East Coast Conference road trip beginning with nationally ranked #23 Mercy College Mavericks at Mercy Field.
After a scoreless first half, the goals came flowing in the second half but it would be the Mavericks who would emerge victorious as the Knights fell to the score of 3-1.
With the loss, the Knights move 6-3 overall, 2-1 in conference play.
In the first half of play, it was the Mavericks who outshot the Knights 5-1 but senior goalie
Dario Giovanni Cruz(Guadalajara, México) would make three saves to keep the game scoreless heading into halftime.
Queens began the second half as the aggressor as junior
Leo Pinto (Forest Hills, N.Y.) tallied a shot on goal only to be denied in the 51
st minute of play.
After Cruz denied the Mavericks in the 54
th minute, freshman
David Oprea's (Oslo, Norway) shot on the counterattack would unflustered the Mavericks goalie.
The home side took a 1-0 lead in the 61
st minute on a failed clearance before the Mavericks doubled their advantage off a corner kick in the 70
th minute.
Queens would cut the advantage in half in the 71
st minute as freshman
Bryce Cherry (Amityville, N.Y.) won the Knights a penalty kick.
Sophomore
Adolfo Martinez Paquet (Sevilla, Spain) stepped to the mark and tallied his fifth goal of the season to bring the Knights within one 2-1 with 19 minutes left to play.
With time winding down, Cherry's header would go out right as the Knights were unable to tie the game in the 78
thminute.
Mercy would seal the victory with their third goal of the game in the 84
th minute of play.
Match Highlights
- Paquet netted his team-leading sixth goal of the season as the sophomore earned his 13th point of the season.
- Paquet, Pinto, and Oprea combined for three shots on goal.
- In goal, Cruz made five saves on the afternoon.
- The Knights were outshot 12-8 (8-3 shots on goal).
UP NEXT: Head coach
Frank Vertullo and his Knights continue ECC play on Saturday (Sept. 24) afternoon as they travel to Rochester, N.Y. with a matchup against Roberts Wesleyan University Redhawks at Soccer Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:00 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).
