Coming off a pair of close losses, Marist men’s soccer righted the ship in a wire-to-wire 4-1 win over Canisius, with three Red Foxes scoring their first goals this season.
After a lengthy 10-day layoff, Marist (4-6, 1-1 MAAC Conference) came into tonight’s match looking to rebound from a gut-wrenching loss to Lehigh, during which they ceded the lead on a penalty kick in the 86th minute. If there was any silver lining for Marist, the Lehigh loss came in the final match of non-conference play, therefore not impacting their MAAC record.
Canisius (2-7-2, 0-2-1 MAAC) entered having failed to record a win in their last five matches, offering Marist a chance to get back on track and pick up their first MAAC win against a struggling opponent. Marist did just that, with two goals in each half giving them a comfortable lead throughout.
Sophomore midfielder Adam Rustami stepped into the starting lineup for sophomore midfielder Kyle Evans, who was seen on the sideline with a bag of ice wrapped around his left knee. According to Marist head coach Matt Viggiano, the injury is relatively minor, and Evans is expected to return next Saturday.
Marist got off to a fast start by nearly scoring off a set piece in the fourth minute. Freshman Caio Cavaletti placed an accurate free kick to freshman defender Gijs Verheul on the right side, and he fired a strong shot, but Canisius sophomore goalkeeper Kennan King jumped out to make an impressive save. King filled in for starting senior goalkeeper Jack Petrie and entered playing having only allowed one goal in two starts.
Senior forward Richard Morel had a golden opportunity to score in the 18th minute off a crosser from sophomore midfielder Arion Ulaj, but his shot sailed just high.
Morel and the Red Foxes would not be denied much longer, as Marist jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a play initiated by Rustami and finished by Morel. Possessing the ball on the left side near the end line, Rustami assisted Morel on a close-range goal. The goal was Morel’s fourth on the year and his second consecutive match with a goal, an encouraging sign for a key piece in Marist’s attack.
“I think I’m finally finding my feet,” said Morel. “It’s been a while since I’ve gotten consecutive goals in a game, so it’s fun to find my feet again.”
After subbing in late in the first half, junior midfielder Aidan Arber punctuated Marist’s early efforts with a spectacular goal, his first of the season. Arber gained possession beyond the 18 and unfurled a high-arcing shot, placing it perfectly into the top right corner of the net beyond the reach of King.
Arber then celebrated his goal by performing a pair of backflips.
“My coach sometimes says I just do [my celebration] for the fans, but it just feels good to flip in the air,” said Arber. “That’s my classic [celebration], expect a lot more of it.”
In contrast to Marist, Canisius failed to generate much of an attack in the first half, sending Marist to the locker room in a comfortable position.
Canisius came out with more pep in their step early in the second half. In the 48th minute, junior forward Mesafint Ellingson took a shot directly in front of the goal. Still, Marist graduate student goalkeeper Jamie Lowell used his body to block the close-range shot. Moments later, junior defender Josh Miller was left alone on the left side. With a clear angle to score, he had Lowell out of position, yet Miller’s shot veered just to the right of the far post.
Marist rendered Canisius’s initial second-half push null and void with a well-executed possession in the 52nd minute that ended with another goal. Ulaj operated across the middle and assisted Cavaletti on the left wing, who buried his first goal in a Marist uniform. Cavaletti, a Brazilian native who played all 90 minutes in the win, feels he is finally settling in within his role.
“I think I’m getting used to the style of college soccer [in the U.S.],” said Cavaletti. “I think I’ve proven myself, and I’m excited for the future.”
“When you have a team on the ropes and you can finish them, you don’t want them hanging around,” added Viggiano. “I told the guys, ‘let’s not give them life, let’s get the third [goal] and let’s see the game out.”
Canisius got on the board via a contentious goal with 20 minutes remaining. Senior forward Ely Sidibe charged into the box and knocked a Marist defender to the ground, but no foul was called, much to Viggiano’s chagrin. He then sent a strong strike past Lowell to narrow the deficit to two.
Marist was having none of it, as junior midfielder Jonathan Salguero put a bow on the win with a goal in the 87th minute to re-establish the three-goal cushion.
“It was a long time coming for me,” said Salguero. “As the game went on, I was able to close it out, and it was refreshing for us.”
Marist will now seek to move above the .500 mark in MAAC play next Saturday when they visit Quinnipiac on the road; kickoff is set for 3 p.m.
Edited by Jaylen Rizzo
Graphic by Jaylen Rizzo; photo via Stockton Photo
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