FLUSHING, N.Y. – Continuing their homestand Tuesday evening, the Queens College men's soccer team welcomed regionally ranked #5 East Stroudsburg University Warriors to Knights Field in a non-conference tilt.
The Knights were led by rookie forward
Bradyn Brown (Lindenhurst, N.Y.), who tied the match at 1-1 in the 30th minute of play. However, redshirt-junior forward
Tommy Gunn (Buenos Aires, Argentina) stole the show with the game-winning goal in the 90th minute, helping lead the Knights to a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over the Warriors.
With the victory, the Knights improve to 4-1-2 overall.
MATCH RECAP
Matching up against their second regionally ranked opponent of the year, the Knights were quickly put under pressure as East Stroudsburg earned a set-piece opportunity from 20 yards out just 18 seconds into the match. However, the Knights' defense held firm to keep the game scoreless.
Two offside flags would cancel out East Stroudsburg's early attacking chances before the Knights began to find their rhythm. Over the next 27 minutes, Queens outshot the Warriors 6-0, including a quality chance in the 27th minute that forced a save from the Warriors' goalkeeper on a shot by Brown.
Following a foul against the Knights, East Stroudsburg broke the deadlock in the 30th minute to take a 1-0 lead.
But Queens wasted no time responding. Just 32 seconds later, junior forward
Miguel Soto Gonzalez (Madrid, Spain) delivered a perfect cross into the box, where Brown connected with a header to beat the goalkeeper through the right side of the net, tying the match at 1-1.
Both sides were limited to just two shots apiece over the final nine minutes of the half, sending the teams into the break still locked at 1-1.
The second half opened with a midfield battle, as East Stroudsburg looked to control possession and pace. The Warriors outshot the Knights 5-0 to start the half, including two shots on target. However, redshirt-sophomore goalie
Thanasis Shehadeh (Nicosia, Cyprus) came up big with a pair of timely saves to keep Queens in the match.
In the 68th minute, Soto Gonzalez registered the Knights' first shot on target of the second half, but the Warriors' keeper was equal to the task to keep the score tied.
Queens continued to apply pressure and nearly broke through in the 80th minute following a set-piece opportunity, however, redshirt-sophomore
Ryan Harding (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) shot sailed just wide to the right.
Shehadeh and the Knights' defense held East Stroudsburg to just one shot over the final 10 minutes of play. In the 86th minute, Soto Gonzalez once again connected with Brown, but the rookie's header narrowly missed the target as he looked to complete a brace.
With the clock winding down and just 20 seconds remaining in regulation, all signs pointed to a draw, until the Knights delivered a moment of pure magic as Soto Gonzalez, a constant threat all night, delivered a perfectly placed cross from 25 yards out. Timing his run to perfection, Gunn soared and met the ball in stride, heading it past the outstretched Warriors' keeper to seal a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory for the Knights.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Gunn recorded his second goal and first game-winner of the year.
- The forward extends his points tally to six with two goals and two assists.
- Brown recorded his team-tying fifth goal of the year and extended his points tally to 11 on the year with five goals and one assist.
- Soto Gonzalez recorded two assists and leads the Knights with 14 points, having recorded four goals and a team-high six assists.
- In goal, Shehadeh recorded three saves, all coming in the second half, to register his fourth victory of the year.
- The Knights outshot the Warriors 15-9, while both teams combined for 4-4 shots on goal.
- Queens recorded a season-best nine corner kicks.
NEXT MATCH
The homestand concludes on Saturday, September 27, as the Knights host the Mercy University Mavericks at Knights Field in East Coast Conference play. 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).
