FLUSHING, NY – Concluding their first week of play, the Queens College men's soccer team welcomed nationally ranked No. 4 Southern New Hampshire University to Knights Field Saturday evening for the 2026 home opener.
Junior
Kleverson Bolanos scored his first goal of the season, while senior goalkeeper
Thanasis Shehadeh recorded five saves as the Knights battled the Penmen to a 1-1 draw.
With the result, Queens improves to 1-0-1 on the young season. Saturday's draw marked the first-ever tie between the Knights and Penmen and Queens' first positive result against a team ranked in the top 10 of the United Soccer Coaches poll. It is the program's highest-ranked result since head coach
Frank Vertullo's 2022 squad earned a 3-0 road victory over No. 15 Southern Connecticut State University.
MATCH RECAP
In a physical contest that featured 33 combined fouls and seven yellow cards, the Knights held their own against the nationally ranked Penmen from the opening whistle.
Southern New Hampshire recorded the first shot of the contest in the 10th minute, but the attempt deflected off the right post.
Queens responded moments later as senior
Andrew Johnson registered the Knights' first shot of the evening in the 11th minute, but his attempt sailed high.
The Knights would strike first in the 12th minute. After Queens won possession in its attacking half, Bolanos beat the Penmen goalkeeper through the right side to give the Knights an early 1-0 advantage. The goal marked Bolanos' first of the season and the second of his career.
SNHU quickly responded with a pair of shots, but both attempts were blocked as Queens maintained its lead.
An offside call nullified a Knights opportunity in the 20th minute before graduate student
Maddox Behnfeldt saw his 22nd-minute attempt sail wide left following a corner kick.
Shehadeh made his first save of the evening in the 27th minute before rookie
Oscar Johnsen nearly doubled the Queens advantage moments later. Johnsen found himself on the counterattack in the 28th minute, but his attempt was saved by the Penmen goalkeeper.
Southern New Hampshire would pull even in the 33rd minute after earning a penalty kick. Despite Shehadeh guessing correctly, the Penmen converted the opportunity to knot the match at 1-1.
The Knights controlled the final 10 minutes of the opening half, holding SNHU without a shot while registering two attempts of their own. Sophomore
Marko Borovic and Bolanos each had chances, but both attempts sailed wide as the teams entered halftime tied.
The Penmen applied pressure coming out of the break, outshooting Queens 10-2 in the second half and holding a 3-0 edge in shots on goal. However, Shehadeh and the Knights' backline repeatedly answered the challenge.
Shehadeh recorded three second-half saves, including several key stops to keep the match level and deny the Penmen the go-ahead goal.
Despite being limited offensively, Queens continued to create opportunities and generate pressure in search of a game-winning tally, but the SNHU defense managed to neutralize each threat.
The Penmen registered three shots during the final 10 minutes, but the Knights' defense stood firm to preserve the 1-1 draw against the No. 4 team in the country.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Queens was outshot 20-8, including 6-2 in shots on goal.
- Behnfeldt led the Knights with two shots, while Bolanos and Johnsen each recorded two shots on goal.
- Bolanos recorded his first goal of the season and the second of his career.
- Shehadeh finished with four saves, including three in the second half.
NEXT MATCH
Queens opens a season-high three-match road stand Wednesday, Sept. 2, traveling to Philadelphia, Pa., for a non-conference matchup against Holy Family University (0-1-1). 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).
