Riverdale, NY - The College of Mount Saint Vincent's men's soccer game was looking to capture their first ever win on the Turf Field at Marillac on Saturday afternoon when they took on Skyline Conference rival Purchase College with playoff implications on the line. A second half offensive surge did the trick for the Dolphins, with the home team walking away with an impressive 4-1 victory over the Panthers. CMSV is now 5-2-3 against the conference, with one more game remaining before the postseason begins.
The Panthers jumped out to an early lead just five minutes into the contest, but the Dolphins continued to attack, as they outshot Purchase 15 to just three in the first 45 minutes of action. It was only a matter of time before CMSV got onto the scoreboard themselves, and that's exactly what happened in the 38th minute. Standout freshman
Augustus McGiff took a free kick from the bottom left of the box, ricocheted his shot attempt off an opposing player and tied things up at one. Despite finishing the half even at a goal apiece, CMSV continued to attack on the offensive end while limiting shot opportunities on defense.
After trading possessions, the Dolphins eventually got things going. Between the 71st and 85th minute, CMSV would get on the board three separate times. The first came off the head of
Justin Betancourt, who charged the net and capitalized on a
Donovan Speer crossing pass. The final two goals came off reigning Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year
Carlos Romero, who first scored on a rebound after Purchase saved his penalty kick, and the second coming off a shot after junior
Ian Lamas lobbed one over to him.
Graduate student
Giovanni Garufi received the start on Saturday and turned away two of the three shots he saw. Romero led the way with six total shots while also pacing the team with four shots on goal.
The Dolphins will close out the regular season on Tuesday when they host Maritime College. This week of play in the Skyline will determine where the Dolphins finish in the playoff standings.
