By Dylan Flynn
The Purchase College men’s soccer team opened their 2019 campaign with a 3-1 loss to John Jay College.
“The fighting spirit was great,” said Coach Brandon Levine when asked about his team’s performance. “We dominated the whole second half, we just couldn’t find the back of the net.”
The lone Panther goal came from freshman Jose Arias with 26 minutes left in the first half.
Purchase made three attempts at netting the ball until Arias finally found the back of the net on the play. The Panthers were denied a second goal on a save by Andrew DeCanio as he used his head to deflect the ball off a Purchase corner kick.
John Jay responded with three unanswered goals, the first coming 10 minutes after the Panthers took the lead. Peter Casey was able to sneak a shot through the outstretched hands of the Purchase goaltender and the half would end 1-1.
Seven minutes into the second half, Decanio came up big for John Jay again as he beat the keeper one on one to give his team a 2-1 lead.
With 28 minutes left in the second half, a John Jay penalty resulted in a Purchase free kick and the team’s best scoring chance of the second half. The shot unfortunately rang squarely off the crossbar and the Panthers were denied a tie.
Great goaltending by freshman Mario Olmedo kept the score close for Purchase in the second half who could just get nothing going. After the Panther defense turned the ball over, Olmedo turned away a shot from John Jay. He would make another save, this time leaping at a long shot and just tipping it over his own net.
However, there was nothing Olmedo could do, as with two minutes left John Jay sealed their victory with a goal off the foot of Mark Shnadshteyn to make the score 3-1 in favor of visiting John Jay.
“We have to stay healthy,” said Levine when asked about adjustments for their next game. “We got four guys in boots so hopefully they are healthy and able to play next game.”
The Panthers will be back in action Friday, Sept. 6 as they take on City College of New York at home at 6 p.m.