FLUSHING, N.Y. – Opening a season-best four-match homestand Saturday night, regionally ranked No. 7 Queens College men's soccer welcomed regionally ranked No. 10 Georgian Court University to Knights Field for a Top-10 regional showdown.
A first-half brace from senior
Andrew Johnson and a second-half goal from senior
Keithlend Cesar paced the offense, while sophomore goalkeeper
Stian Haugland and his backline combined for six saves as the Knights earned a tightly contested 3-1 victory over the Lions to open their homestand.
With the victory, Queens improves to 4-1-1 on the season.
MATCH RECAP
In a contest that saw both teams combine for 26 shots, 15 shots on goal and 29 total fouls, it would be a thrilling battle that came down to the final whistle.
Both sides combined for four shots throughout the opening 20 minutes of play as they looked to pick up the pace.
The Knights opened the scoring as sophomore
Taro Aboubakary delivered a pass to Johnson inside the box. After Johnson's initial shot was blocked, the senior buried the rebound to give Queens a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute.
Queens wasted no time doubling its lead as a foul on the Lions earned the Knights a free kick in their defensive half. As Haugland delivered the long ball, sophomore
Bradyn Brown headed the ball toward Johnson, who buried his second goal of the contest to put the Knights up 2-0 in the 29th minute.
The Lions cut the deficit in half in the 38th minute. After Georgian Court earned a penalty kick, Haugland made the initial save, but the Lions scored on the rebound chance.
Georgian Court nearly tied the contest in the 40th minute, but the shot sailed wide right as Queens went into the break with a 2-1 lead.
Offside calls for both sides opened the second half before the duo of Brown and Aboubakary connected with Cesar in the 54th minute. The senior wasted no time delivering a left-footed blast into the top-left corner for his third goal of the week as Queens took a commanding 3-1 lead.
Over the final 30 minutes of play, the Knights' defense, led by Haugland and his backline, held firm as they combined for four saves to keep the Lions' offense at bay.
The Knights would earn a thrilling 3-1 victory for their fourth win of the year and third in a row against a regionally ranked foe.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Queens outshot Georgian Court, 15-11, and held an 8-7 advantage in shots on goal.
- The trio of Johnson, Brown and sophomore Marko Borovic combined for 12 shots and six shots on frame.
- Johnson recorded his first brace of the year to go along with his first game-winning goal and extended his points tally to six.
- Cesar recorded his team-leading fourth goal of the season and extended his points total to 11.
- Aboubakary recorded two assists in the contest and extended his points tally to six on the year.
- Brown recorded his third assist of the year to extend his points tally to five on the year.
- Haugland recorded four saves in the contest to earn his third victory of the year.
- Queens extends its win streak to four over the Lions, including back-to-back wins in Flushing.
NEXT MATCH
Staying home, Queens prepares for midweek non-conference action Wednesday, Sept. 16, as the Knights welcome Wilmington University to Knights Field. Kickoff is set for 7:00 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), X (Formerly Twitter) (@QCKnights), and Instagram (qcknightsny), men's soccer (qcmsoccer).
