ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. – The fourth-ranked Mercyhurst College men's soccer team rolled to its 10th win of the season by defeating non-conference foe Molloy, 4-1, on Friday afternoon in Rockville Centre, N.Y. With the win, the Lakers improve to 10-0-2 on the season and 4-0-1 away from Mercyhurst Soccer Field.
In the first half of the game Molloy outshot the Lakers 10 to 7 and held a 3-0 advantage in corner kicks. Molloy struck first in the 31st minute of the game when 'Hurst committed a foul inside their box giving John Alberda a chance from 18 yards out off of a penalty shot. Alberda capitalized on the shot and Molloy took the early lead. The first half would end with Molloy leading 1-0.
Mercyhurst came out in the second half with a sense of urgency. The Laker defense held Molloy to only one shot in the second half while Mercyhurst applied offensive pressure shooting the ball 12 times. Mercyhurst took two corner kicks in the second half, Molloy didn't have one opportunity.
Four different Lakers scored for Mercyhurst, all the netters coming in the second period of the contest. In the 68
th minute of the game junior
Alex Manea tied up the game when he received a ball from graduate student
Christoph Hampel and punched it into the back of the net for his team leading ninth goal of the season. Hampel added another helper in the 75
th minute when he headed a ball to sophomore
Matias Karioja who one timed it into the top of the net, giving him three goals on the year. Just four minutes later senior
Arash Fahandezh decided to get in on the action when he chipped the ball over the goal keeper for his second goal of the season, Hampel was credited with the assist. Sophomore
Joe Callahan scored his first collegiate goal in the 87
th minute when he ran down a freshmen
Ewan Sharp pass and finished the goal by placing it inside the right post.
Sophomore
Diego Gustin improves to 10-0-2 after the win, saving two shots on goal in the contest. Gustin has 40 saves on the year and has only given up seven goals on the year.
The Lakers next contest will be played in Washington, D.C. against the District of Columbia on Sunday, 17 at 2 p.m. The Firebirds are 3-9-1 on the season and are 2-3 at home.
