Men's Soccer Held to 1-1 Draw at Norwich to Begin GNAC Play

NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's soccer team opened Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play with a 1-1 draw on the road at Norwich University (Norwich), Saturday afternoon at Sabine Field in Northfield, Vt. With the result, the Blue Jays move to 2-0-1 and 0-0-1 in conference play while the Cadets move to 0-0-3 and 0-0-2 in the GNAC.

KEY MOMENTS 

• The game started quiet as both teams tried to gain their footing in the match, until Norwich made a costly error, playing a ball back to their goalkeeper Nicolas Lanza who misread the pass, allowing it to roll into the net for an own goal, giving USJ a 1-0 lead at the 6:21 mark.
• The Cadets did not let the miscue deter them though, as Aidan Dwyer worked his way into space outside the six-yard box before firing a shot into the upper left corner to tie the match at 1-1 at the 14:10 mark.
• The Blue Jays looked to answer back moments later, winning a free kick in a dangerous spot. Freshman midfielder Matthew Dima (Oxford, Conn.) would try his luck, nearly catching out Lanza, but he would corral a loose ball to preserve the 1-1 score.
• USJ continued to push for its second goal of the game, taking advantage of another set piece chance. Dima whipped in another perfect ball that found its way to graduate student midfielder Elijah Rowland (Hartford, Conn.) who turned and took a shot that was blocked to keep the score at 1-1 with 12 minutes left in the opening half.
• Norwich would nearly take the lead themselves with eight minutes left in the first half, as a Cadets' shot rifled off the crossbar, keeping the score deadlocked.
• The Cadets again nearly took the lead with two minutes remaining in the half, but the hosts missed a shot high of the net from eight yards out to keep the score at 1-1 entering the halftime break.
• The second half started quiet as neither team had a clear-cut chance until the 57:01 mark, when sophomore forward Emmanuel Ofori (East Hartford, Conn.) generated a great chance in front of goal, but Lanza made a point-blank save to deny Ofori from giving USJ the lead.
• The Blue Jays were given a golden opportunity to take the lead after Ofori drew a penalty kick at the 57:42 mark. Ofori would step up to take the spot kick, but his effort sailed high of the net, keeping the score at 1-1.
• USJ continued to try and push for the equalizer as sophomore midfielder Jason Moleiro (Rocky Hill, Conn.) worked his way down the left side of the field, firing a close-range shot from the endline that was saved by Lanza.
• The game would quiet down until the 73:38 mark as Norwich tried a long-range effort that was easily saved by the USJ goalkeeper El Hadji Anne (Bronx, N.Y.) to keep the score deadlocked at 1-1.
• The Cadets looked to find a late winner from a corner kick in the final 30 seconds of play, but the Blue Jays were able to clear the ball and hold on for a 1-1 draw.

NOTES 

• The Blue Jays held a slim lead in shots, 10-9.
• USJ also held a 5-4 edge in corner kicks.
• Anne made three saves on the day to move to 2-0-1 on the year.
• With the result, the Blue Jays snapped a five-game losing skid to the Cadets, but the Cadets maintain their edge in the all-time series as Norwich now holds a 5-0-1 record against USJ.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays continue Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play on Wednesday, September 13, welcoming Dean College for the team's home opener. Kickoff against the Bulldogs on the USJ Soccer Field in West Hartford, Conn. is set for 6:00 p.m.

FOLLOW
For the latest on University of Saint Joseph Athletics, follow the Blue Jays on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Fans can also download the USJ Front Row Mobile App and subscribe to our Newsletter and Text Alerts. #FearTheFlock #GoBlueJays