UNION, N.J. (10/22/16) – The Kean University men's soccer team was topped in a tight 3-2 contest by The College of New Jersey at home on Saturday. The game also marked Senior Day for Kean's 11-man senior class.
Click here to see highlights from today's game
On the rainy, cold and blustery day, TCNJ got off to a good start when Michael Maltese sent a long pass up front to Thomas Hogue that sprung him behind every Kean defender. Hogue converted the advantageous position into a goal for a 1-0 lead at 14:21.
The Lions also generated other good pressure in the first half, ripping 10 shots in all, but Bryce Horn made some excellent diving stops to keep his team in the game.
At 26:38, Kenny Rocha fired a shot that was saved by the Lions' Dan Walsh. But the rebound came back to Rocha who buried it for his eighth goal of the season to knot the game at one.
TCNJ outshot Kean 10-8 in the first half and took four of the first five corner kicks.
Houge scored again 10 minutes into the second period to put the Lions back on top. Later in the game, Walsh made an excellent save on a PK to keep TCNJ ahead with 22 minutes remaining.
Moments later, Kean's Kazari Trought hit the crossbar with 18 minutes to go as the Cougars were buzzing for the tying goal.
Instead, Houge set up Nick Costelloe for an insurance goal with 15 minutes to go that put TCNJ up 3-1. It would prove to be the game-winner, because Robert Barrera (pictured left) knocked in an unassisted goal for Kean with seven minutes to go. But the Cougars could not come up with the equalizer and fell by a one-goal margin. Horn made a career-high nine saves for the Cougars on the day.
The Lions improved to 8-7-2 on the year and 4-3-1 in the NJAC, leapfrogging Kean in the standings. The Cougars are now 14-5 and 4-4 in the league.
Saturday was Senior Day for Brad Watkins, Carmine Colasurdo, Steven Osores, Pablo Valle, Rocha, Sev Kherlopian, Jelani Williams, Tim Dutchak, Trought and Andrew Lopes.
Kean will hit the road for its final game of the regular season on Wednesday with a visit to Ramapo College at 3 p.m.
