UNION, N.J. (9/28/16) – In a matchup where both sides came in with identical 9-2 records, the Kean University men's soccer team bested NJAC rival Montclair State University 4-3 at Kean Alumni Stadium on Wednesday night. Four different Cougars scored in a game that saw three ties and four lead changes.
Click here to see highlights from tonight's win!
As the evening started, Kean seemed to be getting the better run of play, but it was the Red Hawks who put the ball in the net at about 7:00, only to have it called back due to a foul.
At the 10-minute mark of the first, Robert Barrera stole the ball from the Red Hawk defense and created havoc in the offensive zone. He slipped a pass over to the left side for Kazari Trought, who ripped it into the far-side netting for the game's first goal.
Soon after, a Cougar miscue set up an MSU corner kick. The Red Hawks capitalized, with Mike Taranto setting up Lucas Terci for the equalizer at 14:48. The action on the field was riveting as the teams traded scoring chance after scoring chance.
Sev Kherlopian set up the next marker with a long, curling pass to Kenny Rocha on the run. Rocha did well to hold off his defender and put a good, hard-driven finish past the Red Hawk keeper for the lead.
Montclair tied it up again, however, with another goal by Terci. He got his head on a volley into the box by Chris Bobev to re-direct the ball into the Cougar net to knot the game at two.
Kean was able to answer before the halftime horn: Mateo Castro Arias gathered the ball near midfield after a corner kick. He sent a long pass into the box, where Nicholas Sica (pictured left) was waiting. His header looped over the drawn-out goalkeeper for the Cougars' third goal of the half and a 3-2 halftime lead. Kean outshot MSU 14-9 in the opening period.
Montclair flipped the tables and outshot the Cougars 13-6 in the second half. After 20 tense, scoreless minutes, Taranto earned his second assist of the evening with a long throw-in that was headed in by John Starner.
The knotted-up second period was frantic; the teams combined for six yellow cards in the second half alone and had 10 fouls each in the game.
Montclair hit two posts in the final half, but it was Kean that came up with a late goal. Following a foul called deep in the Montclair zone, Castro Arias took the free kick and Tim Dutchak went flying into the box with a header to knock the ball into the cage for what turned out to be the game-winner at 82:57.
There was a close call for Kean with three minutes left, necessitating a save and another ringer off the post. Even the Red Hawk goalie had a shot as MSU desperately tried to do anything to come up with the equalizer. But Cougar goalkeeper Derek Phells and the Kean defense stood tall and made the fourth goal stand up for the win.
"The guys were resilient," said interim head coach John Velasco. "They really trusted one another and believed in one another to execute the concept. The effort tonight was relentless. It proves that our team chemistry is there and we continue to believe in our concept and what we're trying to accomplish here."
Kean will continue NJAC play on Saturday with a visit to Rowan University at 1 p.m.
