FLUSHING, N.Y. – Opening a three-match homestand to begin the 2025 season, the Queens College men's soccer team welcomed the Tigers of Holy Family University to Knights Field Thursday evening.
In a total team effort, seven different Knights found themselves on the scoresheet as Queens scored three goals in each half, while the defense limited the Tigers to six shots to earn a 6-0 victory on opening day.
For the first time since the 2021 season, the Knights open the season on a winning note. Head coach
Frank Vertullo and the Knights extended their winning streak to five matches over the Tigers, dating back to the 2021 season, including earning back-to-back shutout victories over their non-conference foe.
MATCH RECAP
It would be the Tigers who registered the first shot of the match in the eighth minute of play, but it would sail out right before Queens picked up their tempo.
In the 11
th minute of play, junior forward
Jason Udo (Bronx, N.Y.) wasted no time in attacking before he delivered a cross for rookie defender
Carlos Villa (Medellin, Colombia) to blast home the game-winning goal and register his first career goal.
The Tigers looked to respond in the 19
th minute of play off a corner kick, but the shot would sail high.
Queens went to work right away as they used the next 10 minutes of play to extend their lead. After three shots were denied by the Tigers, sophomore midfielder
Bastian Engeli (Bergen, Norway) would find senior forward
Harry Cooke (Market Drayton, England), who opened his goal-scoring account in the 29
th minute of play to put the Knights up 2-0.
Miscommunication from the Tigers' defense would see junior forward
Miguel Soto Gonzalez (Madrid, Spain) take advantage and put the Knights up 3-0 in the 31
st minute of play.
The Knights would take a 3-0 lead into halftime as they outshot the Tigers 9-3 in the first half.
As Queens continued to dictate the passage of play, the Knights would put the game out of reach by the 71
st minute of play as Cooke completed his first hattrick of the year behind back-to-back assists from Soto Gonzalez and Villa.
Behind a through ball from rookie forward
Bradyn Brown (Lindenhurst, N.Y.), junior midfielder
Andrew Johnson (Oakdale, N.Y.) closed out the scoring in the 78
th minute of play as the Knights scored their sixth goal of the year in their season opener.
Queens' defense would close out the final 12 minutes of play as redshirt-sophomore goalie
Thanasis Shehadeh (Nicosia, Cyprus) and his defense held the Tigers without a shot to earn the 6-0 shutout victory.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Cooke led the Knights with a team-high six points with his fourth career hattrick.
- Soto Gonzalez tallied four points with a goal and a team-high two assists.
- It would be a remarkable debut for rookie defender Villa as the Colombian native registered three points with a goal and an assist and the game-winning tally.
- Johnson recorded two points with a goal in the second half.
- While the trio of Engeli, Udo, and Brown combined for three points as they each recorded an assist, with rookie Brown adding valuable minutes off the bench to register a point in his first career match.
- In goal, Shehadeh earned his first shutout victory of the year.
- As a team, the Knights outshot the Tigers 20-5 and 13-0 on shots on goal.
NEXT MATCH
Continuing the homestand on Saturday, September 6, Queens welcomes the Hawks of Saint Anselm College to town. Kickoff is set for 7 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).
