FLUSHING, N.Y. – Opening a two-match homestand on Wednesday evening, the Queens College men's soccer team hosted the University of Bridgeport Purple Knights in non-conference action at Knights Field.
In a tightly contested battle, junior forward
Miguel Soto Gonzalez (Madrid, Spain) delivered a perfectly placed ball off a corner kick in the 73rd minute, where rookie forward
Bradyn Brown (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) rose above the defense to head in his 10th goal of the season, and third game-winner to break the deadlock. While redshirt-sophomore goalie
Thanasis Shehadeh (Nicosia, Cyprus) and the backline anchored a resilient defensive effort to secure a hard-fought 1-0 shutout victory.
With the win, Queens improves to 8-1-2 overall on the year. The victory also marks the Knights' first-ever home win over Bridgeport and their first win against the Purple Knights since the 2014 season, when Queens earned a 2-1 road victory.
MATCH RECAP
The Knights dominated the early stages of the match, outshooting the visitors 9-0 in the first 22 minutes, including seven shots on target. Despite the offensive pressure, the Purple Knights' defense held strong, keeping Queens off the scoreboard.
In the 25
th minute, Bridgeport began applying pressure on the Knights' backline. They earned three corner kicks and recorded their first shot of the game during this period.
As a midfield battle intensified with both teams fighting for control, Bridgeport maintained possession in the final minutes of the first half, earning back-to-back free kicks.
However, Shehadeh and the Knights' defense stood firm, blocking consecutive shots on goal as both teams headed into halftime locked in a scoreless deadlock.
The Purple Knights came out strong to start the second half, forcing Shehadeh into action with a save in the 47th minute, followed by a solid defensive stand on a Bridgeport set piece.
Queens responded quickly on the counterattack, registering three consecutive shots. In the 53
rd minute, sophomore midfielder
Bastian Engeli (Bergen, Norway) tested the keeper with a shot on goal, but it was turned away.
A Knights' foul in the 56th minute gave Bridgeport another set piece opportunity, but the resulting shot drifted wide of the frame.
Following a quieter spell of play as Queens sought to control possession, Soto Gonzalez reignited the attack. His shot on goal was blocked, earning the Knights a corner kick.
The Madrid forward made the moment count in the 73rd minute, delivering a precise kick from the left side that found Brown, who headed home his 10th goal of the season to break the deadlock and give Queens a 1-0 lead.
Over the final 15 minutes, Shehadeh came up big with four more saves, preserving the shutout as the Knights closed out a gritty 1-0 win with their fourth clean sheet of the season
BY THE NUMBERS
- Brown tallied his team-leading 10th goal of the year and his third career game-winning goal of the year.
- The rookie extends his points tally to a team-high 21.
- Soto Gonzalez recorded his team-leading 10th assist and extended his points tally to 20 with five goals and 10 assists.
- In goal, Shehadeh recorded five saves to earn his eighth victory of the year and fourth cleansheet.
- With his fourth shutout of the year, Shehadeh earned his 12th career shutout to become the All-Time leader in shutouts, overtaking current goalkeeper coach Giovanni Cruz, who notched 11 from 2021-2022.
- The Knights outshot the Purple Knights 22-12, 10-7 shots on goal.
NEXT MATCH
The Knights will close out their homestand on Saturday, October 11, as they host the St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartans at Knights Field in East Coast Conference action. Kickoff is set for 7:30 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), X (Formerly Twitter) (@QCKnights), and Instagram (qcknightsny), men's soccer (qcmsoccer).
