Men's Soccer Falls at Home to Fisher to Open 2024 Season

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's soccer team fell at home to visiting Fisher College (Fisher), 3-1, to open the 2024 regular season Friday afternoon on the USJ Soccer Field in West Hartford, Conn. With the result, the Blue Jays start the year at 0-1-0, while the Falcons begin the year at 1-0-0.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• The Falcons struck first when sophomore midfielder Tim Schwarz (Wiesbaden, Germany) volleyed a strike into the top left corner, giving the visitors the lead at the 12:23 mark.
• USJ wasted little time answering back, as junior defender Nicholas Simpson (Mansfield, Conn.) played a through ball into the path of senior forward Dane Stephens (Linstead, Jamaica). Stephens then cut the ball across the goal to graduate student forward Henry McGarrah V (Hartford, Conn.) who tapped the ball into an open net, equalizing the game at 1-1 with 15:57 on the clock.
• Both teams would threaten the opposing defenses, but the scoreline held at 1-1 entering the halftime break.
• Fisher regained the edge at the 61:37 mark, when sophomore forward Leonardo Di Biase (Empoli, Italy) found the back of the net, establishing a 2-1 Falcons lead.
• The visitors put the game to rest with 65:09 on the clock, as Schwarz netted his second goal of the game, looping a free kick over the Blue Jays wall and into the top corner, increasing the gap to 3-1. The Falcons defense would hold strong, denying the Blue Jays a way back into the game to take home a 3-1 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• McGarrah V scored his first goal of the year.
• Simpson and Stephens notched their first assists of the campaign.
• Freshman goalkeeper Will Slayton (Manchester, Conn.) got the start in net, playing the opening half and recording two saves.
• Junior Andres Diosa (Cheshire, Conn.) played the second half in goal, picking up the loss (0-1-0) after allowing two goals and making two saves.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays continue a three-game homestand to start the 2024 campaign, welcoming Bridgewater State University to the USJ Soccer Field on Tuesday, September 3. Kickoff against the Bears is set for 6:00 p.m.

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