After a historic 2023 season that ended with a division championship, the Marist men’s club soccer team is aware of the challenges ahead but not feeling the extra pressure.
“We’re the team everyone wants to beat,” said sophomore right back and right winger Lucian Pezzillo. “Being the defending conference champions puts a giant target on our back.”
Despite the pressure, the Red Foxes have kept their approach simple, focusing on the joy of the game and not just its significance.
After a 3-0 loss to RPI in the season opener, the team looked to strengthen their play before beginning their conference schedule began on Sept. 15 at Southern Connecticut State University.
Conference play for the Red Foxes began on a hot, sunny day in New Haven, CT, where Marist got off to a fast start by scoring six unanswered goals. Despite a goalie mistake that allowed a goal, cutting the lead to five, the Red Foxes quickly responded with two more goals, ending the match with a dominant 8-1 victory.
“That game was the perfect way to start out conference play,” said Pezzillo. “Winning big like that gave us a huge confidence boost and reminded us of how high our potential is.”
The team practices late at night on Tuesdays and Thursdays, focusing on fundamentals like ball movement and possession. With only two practices a week, they emphasize the basics of playing fast, loose and carefree during matches.
Their next match took them to North Haven High School for a matchup against Quinnipiac. The game was evenly matched until a Quinnipiac player split the defenders and fired a slow roller into the bottom left corner just before halftime.
With the help of an energetic bench, the Red Foxes came out aggressively in the second half, controlling possession in Quinnipiac’s territory. About halfway through the second half, sophomore Isaac Altstein launched a rocket from 35 yards out, beating the goalie in the top right corner to tie the match at 1-1.
Despite the momentum, the match ended in a draw, leaving Marist with an overall 1-1-1 record.
The Red Foxes then faced a quick turnaround, preparing for a highly anticipated rivalry matchup against Fairfield on Sept. 22 under the Tenney Stadium lights.
“Fairfield has always been a very important opponent for us,” said captain Nicolas Giammarino. “We always come ready for battle, not only because they’re our rival but because they’re a very strong opponent.”
As the game began, physicality was evident. Both teams played with urgency, and tensions ran high. After a defensive first half, Marist dominated much of the second half but failed to capitalize on several key scoring opportunities. In the final minutes, a turnover gave Fairfield a chance to score, but the Red Foxes’ defense recovered and held on for a 0-0 draw.
While Marist looked like the stronger team in the second half, a few key mistakes stood between them and victory.
“We’re moving the ball well together and trusting each other’s decisions, which leads to scoring opportunities,” said Giammarino. “We’re creating chances by passing and moving off the ball. The only thing missing is the end product. I believe if we keep playing this way, those chances will start hitting the back of the net.”
Most recently, Marist notched a 3-2 road victory over Yale White on Saturday, followed by a 2-1 home win over Sacred Heart on Sunday. With Marist now sporting a 3-0-2 conference record and having upcoming matches against New Haven, Yale Blue and Army, captain Samuel Dennehy remains confident in his team.
“We expect to score more goals than we ever have before,” said Dennehy. “The team is just as excited as they were last year.”
One of the main challenges for successful teams is maintaining composure when things do not go their way. As captain, Dennehy believes that not succumbing to the peaks and valleys of the season will be key as they head down the stretch.
“Everyone on this team is so excited and motivated to do the absolute best we can,” said Dennehy. “So when we get scored on or if something doesn’t go our way, we need to stay level-headed, focus on winning it back, and remind each other that we won the conference last year for a reason.”
Edited by Luke Sassa
Graphic by Victoria Guardino; Photos from Dan Moynahan
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