The men's 2015 College Soccer Season is now officially underway. As expected defense ruled in many contests as teams are still beginning to gel on the offensive side of the ball. Many of the contests went as expected but there were a few very noteable upsets mixed in.
UC Santa Barbara 1 – Stanford 0 – In one of the top opening day upsets, the Gauchos top highly regarded Stanford at Harder Staduim in Santa Barbara, California. Junior forward Nick Depuy, the 2014 Big West Offensvie Player of the Year, scored what proved to be the difference maker in the 42nd minute of the match when he alertly and decisively headed in a cross from teammate junior midfielder Seo-In Kim. Justin Vom Steeg had four saves in goal to record the shutout in goal for the Gauchos. The win was UCSB's first over Stanford since the 2004 season.
Georgetown 0 – FGCU 0 – Both teams were active on the offensive side of the ball and had opportunities to score particularly out of set pieces but neither could find the back of the net in this contest played at the FGCU Soccer Complex in Ft. Myers, Florida. Both teams had ten shots on the evening. Georgetown had a 10-3 advantage in corner kicks. won . The Hoyas remain on the road to face South Florida, weather permitting, Sunday night. FGCU will host UCF on Wednesday, September 2.
UIC 2 – Bradley 0 – Senior midfielder Manny Chavez scored out of a free kick a little over a minute and a half into the game and senior forward Jorge Alvarez sent a bullet into the net from seventeen yards out in the 66th minute to seal the win for the Flames. Goalkeeper Andrew Putna had five saves to anchor a solid defensive effort by UIC.
Radford 2 – Dayton 1 – Freshmen came up big for Radford in this one. Dayton drew first blood when they scored on an own-goal in the thirty-fifth minute. Radford freshman Finn Tiedemann redirected a pass from teammate Felix Steinhauser into the back of the net in the forty-third minute to knot the score at 1-1. Freshman Sivert Daehlie converted a header off an assist from teammate Sergio Arzubiaga in the 71st minute to give Radford the edge they needed to secure the win.
South Carolina 2 – Mercer 1 – A total of 4,325 fans were on hand at Stone Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina to witness this one. Freshman defender Ben Davidson scored a picture perfect goal out of a free kick from twenty-four yards out in the 17th minute to give the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead going into halftime. Senior midfielder Jeffrey Torda netted the insurance goal for South Carolina when he scored from six yards out after receiving a cross from Danny Deakin. Emmet Johnson scored for Mercer after receiving a double assist from Will Bagrou and Ian Antley in the 83rd minute to complete the scoring for the evening. Junior Marco Velez had four saves in goal for the Gamecocks.
North Carolina 1 – FIU 0 – This one was closer than most thought it would be. FIU was called for a handball in the box in the 82nd minute and Raby George converted the penalty kick to give the Tar Heels the edge they needed to win their season opener. Redshirt freshman keeper James Pyle recorded the shutout in goal for North Carolina.
High Point 0 – UNC Wilmington 0 – UNC Wilmington outshot High Point seven to four but neither team was able to find the back of the net in this opening day defensive struggle.
Coastal Carolina 2 – Old Dominion 0 – The Chanticleers open the season with an impressive win on the road behind goals from junior midfielder Sergio Camargo and senior forward Bryce Follensbee. Pina Fernando had seven saves to record the shutout in goal for Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers will face VCU on Sunday.
Creighton 1 – Michigan 0 – The Bluejays secured what proved to be the game-winning goal from All-American forward Fabian Herbers in the 31st minute of the match before a record opening day crowd of 4,838 fans at beautiful Morrison Stadium in Omaha. Herbers made a nice move down the left side of the pitch and created the space he needed off the dribble to place a shot from the top of the box into the back of the frame. Teammate midfielder Fernando Castellanos helped set the goal up with a long pass to Herbers. Connor Sparrow had seven saves in goal for Creighton. Evan Louro had seven saves in goal in a losing effort for Michigan. Creighton will host Milwaukee on Sunday. Michigan will take to the pitch again on Friday, September 4 when they host West Virginia at the U-M Soccer Stadium.
Providence 2 – Bryant 1 (ot) – The visiting Bulldongs from Bryant gave Providence all they could handle in this one that required overtime to determine a winner. Bryant got on the board first on a goal in the 62nd minute from Curtis Orth who placed a shot into the bottom left corner of the net after receivng a cross from Teddy Spanos. Junior Mac Steeves gave Providence new life with just two minutes remaining in regulation when he placed a shot into the back of the net from six yards out off a double assist from Manny Andrade and Brendan Constantine. Steeves converted a penalty kick in overtime to give Providence a come from behind win over a determined group from Bryant. Providence will host a very good Monmouth team on Sunday in what looks to be a very interesting contest.
Notre Dame 0 – Maryland 0 (ot) – After 110 minutes of play this marque mathup ended just as it started with neither team being able to find the back of the net. Maryland had a 22-10 edge in shots. It does not get easier for either team as Notre Dame faces Indiana on Sunday and Maryland faces an always tough St. John's side.
Washington 1 – Gonzaga 0 – Redshirt sophomore midfielder Beau Blanchard scored on a header just a little over a minute into the second stanza of play and the Washington backline of Justin Schmidt, Quentin Pearson, Luke Hauswirth, and Justin Fiddes and goalkeeper Ryan Herman contained Gonzaga to secure the opening day win for the Dawgs. Washington head coach Jamie Clark stated, "We're still finding our feet. If we can get wins while we're finding our way, we are going to be happy."
Clemson 3 – East Tennessee State 1 – Visiting East Tennessee State threw a scare into the folks at Historic Riggs Field when Joao Ramalho placed a shot into the bottom corner of the net after receiving a cross from Corentin Ohlmann in the 36th minute of play to take an early 1-0 lead. However Clemson answered the bell in the second half with goals from Paul Clowes, Iman Mafi and Oliver Shannon to secure a solid win in their season opener.
Indiana 1 – St. John's 0 – Junior defender Phil Fives demonstrated great touch on the ball when he created a little space and netted the game-winning goal for IU in the 33rd minute of play with a double assist from teammates sophomore defender Grant Lillard and senior graduate student Ben Maurey who was playing in his first contest in an IU uniform after transferring in from Brown. Colin Webb recorded the shutout in goal for the Hoosiers who will host Notre Dame at Bill Armstrong Stadium on Sunday.
MIchigan State 1 – Portland 0 – This one was played before a crowd of 4,596 fans at Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex. The Spartans traveled to the west coast and came away with a close but very good season opening win over the Pilots. This one was scoreless at the end of the first stanza of play. MSU was awarded a penalty kick in the 75th minute of play. Zach Carroll's attempt was stopped by Portland goalkeeper Paul Christensen but Carroll alertly kept his head in the game and tapped the rebound into the back of the net to give the Spartans the edge they needed to leave the field with a win. Zach Bennett had three saves in goal to anchor a solid Michigan State defensive effort. Credit Christensen who had five saves with a solid evening in goal for Portland. Damon Rensing stated, "It was a really good result for our program." Michigan States will face a very good Oregon State team on Sunday. Portland will tangle with Marquette on Sunday.
Bowling Green 3 – SIUE 1 – Bowling Green opened this one up when they scored three times within a little over four minutes in the first half of play. Ryan James, Pat Flynn and Joe Sullivan netted the goals for the Falcons in their season opener at Cochrane Stadium. Redshirt freshman midfielder Bismark Agyeman contributed two assists for Bowling Green. Jabari Danzy's header in the 62nd minute of play was the lone goal of the evening for SIUE.
Davidson 2 – Campbell 1 – Matt Spear's Davidson team picked up a nice season opening come from behind win behind second half goals from Jess Smith and Shane Macnamara. Maxi Pragnell provided the helper on both goals. Bradley Farias' goal in the 42nd minute of play gave Campbell a 1-0 advantage heading into intermission. Matt Pacifici had five saves in goal for Davidson. Matthew Mozynski had two saves between the pipes for Campbell.
Louisville 2 – William and Mary 1 – Andrew Brody got Louisville on the board in the 22nd minute of play with an assist from defender Ben Strong. Upset minded William and Mary knotted the score at 1-1 in the 41st minute of play courtesy of a goal from Antonio Bustamante. Tate Schmitt netted the game-winner for Louisville in the 43rd minute of play when he placed a shot into the upper left corner of the frame from sixteen yards out. Louisville will host Stanford on Monday. Stanford was upset 1-0 by UCSB in their season opener.
San Diego 3 – California 0 – The Toreros took it to the Golden Bears with three second half goals from sophomore transfer Djordje Babic, senior transfer Marvin Schmiege and senior Torrey Dearmas who was a First Team All-WCC selection last year. Thomas Olsen had four saves in goal for San Diego in route to recording the shutout. California will seek to regroup for their next contest on Friday, September 4 when they host VCU. San Diego returns to action on Monday when they host UC Riverside.
Saint Louis 1 – Tulsa 0 (ot) – Senior forward Vince Cicciarelli who is a transfer from Notre Dame made a nice move off the dribble and scored from twelve yards out to secure the win for the Billikens. Sascha Otte had six saves in goal for Saint Louis. Jake McGuire had a three save evening in goal for Tulsa. Tulsa had a fifteen to five advantage in shots for the evening. This one easily could have gone either way.
Ohio State 2 – Cal State Fullerton 0 – This one changed when Cal State Fullerton received a red card in the 24th minute of play. Kyle Culbertson placed a left-footer in the back of the frame in the 29th minute of play with assists from Danny Jensen and Kenny Cunningham to give the Buckeyes a 1-0 advantage. Ohio State defender Liam Doyle converted a penalty kick in the 74th minute of the match to give Ohio State a little breathing room. Chris Froschauer a senior transfer from Dayton playing his first contest for Ohio State had three saves in goal. Ohio State mentor John Bluem stated, "You have to give them a lot of credit for their effort with being a man down." The Buckeyes will host Binghamton on Sunday. Cal State Fullerton will face Wright State on Sunday.
UC Irvine 1 – Loyola Chicago 0 – Edgardo Molina scored out of a corner kick put in play by Mats Bjurman in the 71st minute to give the Anteaters the edge they needed to prevail. Michael Breslin had two saves in goal to record the shutout for the Anteaters. UC Irvine head coach Chris Volk stated, "Always feels good to win and win at home for the season opener." UC Irvine will travel to Omaha next weekend to face Nebraska Omaha and Creighton. Loyola will complete a two-game west coast trip when they face Cal State Northridge on Sunday night.
Xavier 8 – Eastern Illinois 0 – Tora, Tora, Tora. This one was all Xavier. Matt Vasquenza scored twice and Alex Ridsdale, Majed Osman, Eric McWoods, Calum Latham and Kaleb Bayse also scored. Xavier will face Wisconsin in Madison on Sunday.
Iona 1 – James Madison 1 (ot) – James Madison jumped out to the early lead when Toby Appleton scored from twenty-five yards out in the 16th minute of the game. Credit Michael Russo with a helper on the goal. Marcos Nunez knotted it at 1-1 in the 58th minute after receiving a through ball from teammate Daniel Ocana Garcia. That concluded the scoring for the evening. Iona netminder Julian Petrello and James Madison goalkeeper Kyle Morton each had a singe save.
Penn State 1 – San Francisco 0 – A total of 2,449 were on hand at Jeffrey Field to see freshman Mac Curran slot a shot into the bottom left corner of the net in the 73rd minute after receivng a cross from fellow freshman Austin Maoney. Matt Bersano had three saves in goal for the Nittany Lions. Credit both teams with a well played season opener. Penn State will host Navy on Sunday.
Delaware 1 – Central Arkansas 0 – This one was closer than expected. What was not unexpected was that All-American forward Guillermo Delgado netted the game-winning goal for Delaware from eight yards out early in the second half with an assist from Ben Sampson. Todd Morton had one save in goal to record the shutout for the Blue Hens. Delaware head coach Ian Hennessy stated, "I think we had some good opportunities early on to put them away, but I give UCA a lot of credit."
Hofstra 2 – Syracuse 1 – A young but game Syracuse team was upset in their season opener by a determined Hofstra team. Junior Joseph Holland converted a penalty kick in the 61st minute and sophomore Henry Crayton followed that up with a shot into the lower left corner of the goal in the 66th minute to give Hofstra a 2-0 advantage. Oyvind Alseth converted a penalty kick for Syracuse in the 71st minute for the Orange but it was too little to late. Patric Pray had nine saves in goal for Hofstra. The Pride secures a resume building season opening win. Syracuse will seek to regroup and get in the win column when they face Bucknell on Sunday. Hofstra will face Vermont on Sunday.
UMBC 2 – Farifield 2 (ot) – Cominic Marshall scored in the 37th and 61st minutes to give Fairfield what felt like a commanding lead. However, the Retrievers resonded with a goal from Joseph Pratt in the 69th minute and a goal from Kennedy O'Shea in the 87th minute to send it to overtime. Fairfield goalkeeper Matt Turner who had an eleven save evening also came up big when he blocked a UMBC penalty kick 43 ticks into the second half. UMBC outshout Fairfield 20-7 for the evening.
Akron 3 – VCU 2 (ot) – In what may have been the most exciting opening day contest, the Zips prevailed behind a golden goal from sophomore Anthony Macchione with an assist from Adam Najem in the 108th minute of the game. This one was scoreless at the end of the first half of play. Sam Gainford gave Akron a 1-0 advantage in the 55th minute. VCU responded with a Jason McGlothern goal in the 64th minute to knot the score at 1-1. Gainford gave Akron the edge again with a goal in the 78th minute. Senor defender Dennis Castillo sent the contest into overtime when he scored for VCU in the 88th minute. Akron will face ODU on Sunday. Things don't get any easier for VCU as they tangle with Coastal Carolina on Sunday.
Oregon State 1 – Marquette 0 (ot) – The crowd at Lorenz Field was rocking when senior midfielder forward Mikhail Doholis curled a left footer into the top left hand corder from the top of the eighteen yard box to give Oregon State the win. The momentum in this back and forth contest shifted to Oregon State in the 84th minute when Marquette's Jack Alberts was shown a red card. Nolan Wirth had two saves in goal for Oregon State and defender Jalen Markey had a huge clear in the 94th minute for the Beavers. Oregon State face Michigan State on Sunday while Marquette will tangle with Portland. Fitness could prove to be a big factor in those contests.
North Carolina State 2 – Furman 1 – Zach Knudson converted a penalty kick 33 seconds into overtime to give the Pack the win. Cameron Steele scored NC State's first goal out of a corner kick in the 48th minute of play. Eli Pinner scored for Furman in the 54th minute to tie it at 1-1. Wolfpack head coach Kelly Findley stated, "I thought we managed their experience really well with a very young group. We handled the pressure of playing our first game, and in the end got a good result." NC State faces the College of Charleston on Sunday. Furman will square off with Seton Hall on Sunday.
Wake Forest 1 – Santa Clara 0 – The Bobby Muuss era at Wake Forest got underway with a win behind a Jacori Hayes goal in the 84th minute of play. Brad Dunwell and Jon Bakero assisted on Hayes' game-winner. Muuss stated, "It wasn't our greatest performance, but we grinded out a win." The Demon Deacons will return to the field on Sunday when they host Florida International at Spry Stadium at 7 p.m.
Connecticut 0 – St. Francis Brooklyn 0 (ot) – A crowd of 3,618 were on hand for the season opener at Morrone Stadium. The Huskies had a 10 to 7 shot advantage but this one remained scoreless at the conclusion of 110 minutes of play.
Kentucky 2 – Valparaiso 1 – Visiting Valpo gave the home crowd something to worry about when Matthew Gweh took a through ball from Stian Sandbekkhaug and drove a shot into the back of the net in the 40th minute to take a 1-0 lead. Kentucky got back into it with a goal from Noah Hutchins off an assist from Andrew McKelvey in the 55th minute to tie the score at 1-1. Napo Matsoso brought the home crowd to its feet when the placed the game winning goal in the right corner of the net in the final minute of regulation to give Kentucky a gutsy 2-1 come from behind win over a good Valpo team.
Oakland 3 – Western Illinois 0 – The Golden Grizzlies came out growling in their season opening win that featured two goals from redshirt junior midfielder Alex Serwatka in the 13th and 66th minutes and a single score from sophomore midfielder Austin Ricci in the 85th minute. Matt Dudley assisted on Serwatka's first goal. Wes Mink had three saves in goal for Oakland.
UMass Lowell 1 – Monmouth 0 – Redshirt freshman Paul Beatty scored what proved to be the game winning goal in the 37th minute of play with an assist from junior Wuilito Fernandes to give UMass Lowell the upset win over Monmouth in the season opener for both teams. Austin Kroll had three saves in goal to record the shutout for the River Hawks. UMass Lowell head coach Christian Figueroa stated, "It was a good performance, the guys put a lot of work in the last two weeks in preparation for this game."
Duke 3 – Saint Mary's 2 – Sophomore forward Jeremy Ebobisse scored twice for Duke and sophomore defender Markus Fjortoft contributed a single goal to give the Blue Devils a 3-0 advantage. Saint Mary's responded with goals from midfielder Max Mirner in the 63rd minute and defender Lucas Isaacson in the 89th minute but they were not able to overcome the three goal deficit.
Villanova 3 – University of Albany 0 – This one was scoreless at intermission but Villanova came out firing in the second stanza with goals from Padraic McCullaugh, Lucas Hodges, and Max Kroschwitz who also contributed the assist on McCullaugh's goal. Will Steiner anchored a sound defensive effort from Villanova with four saves in goal for the evening.
