Cheerful and excited fans filed into Tenney Stadium to watch the Marist men’s soccer game against Hofstra University to finish out their non-conference season matchup. The Marist men’s soccer team won 3-1, making their season record 3-4.
As they start to gear towards the middle of the season, and the games start to become more important, their minds haven’t left the thought of a MAAC championship. Although their record is 3-4, it truly does not prove the talent that the men have.
During the start of their regular season, the red foxes have had one of the hardest non-conference schedules in the country, but why? These non-conference games were made difficult on purpose, to simply prepare them for conference play and ultimately a MAAC championship.
These last few weeks they have taken on Jacksonville, Gonzaga, UPenn, Saint Joseph’s, UAlbany, New Hampshire, and Hofstra. These matchups have been some of the toughest games thus far.
The Red Foxes put up a good fight against their previous matchups, preparing themselves for the games to come. “Although we lost a few of our previous games, which were tough matchups, we are ready to prove ourselves come the MAAC,” said Coach Viggiano.
Always trying to put their best foot forward, they used those non-conference games to become a better team and focus on improvement. As they continue to keep their eyes on the MAAC championship, they are taking one game at a time.
During the first half of the game, the ball was continuously back and forth between Marist and Hofstra. Not scoring much so far this season, the offense has struggled with missed opportunities, getting lost in their ability to pass the ball.
During the second half in their matchup, Marist started to show how strong of a team they really are. Adding two more goals to the scoreboard, Stefan Copetti and Allen Gavilanes took advantage of their opportunities on goal.
Copetti, scored his first collegiate goal, and Gavilanes got back into the swing of things with his first goal of the season. Throughout the game, Marist’s defense was stable, keeping their feet on the ground and covering Hofstra as well as they could.
“The boys are going in with a positive mindset, as they should,” said Coach Viggiano. As they continue their season, the men need to continue to improve offensively.
Next up, starting their MAAC conference schedule off, the red foxes take on Niagara on October 2 and their tough schedule has prepared them for nothing, but three points.