Marist men’s soccer traveled to Connecticut today to take on Quinnipiac, earning a 2-0 win in a heated MAAC Conference matchup.
Both the Marist Red Foxes (5-6, 2-1 MAAC) and Quinnipiac Bobcats (4-6-1, 1-2 MAAC) came into the match with over a week of rest. Last time out Marist took down Canisius 4-1 at home, whereas Quinnipiac got shutout 2-0 in their game at Rider.
The Red Foxes earned their second win in a row, conceding only one goal across the two MAAC matches. Including a 1-2 loss at Fairfield, Marist’s defense has performed in conference play.
Marist made a few changes against Canisius, where their depth proved crucial, with three Red Foxes scoring their first goals of the season. This game, however, there were no lineup changes.
The match began without much offense; Marist’s two shots (both on target) only outshot Quinnipiac by one, theirs also being on target. Both teams committed several fouls through the first 20 minutes; Marist totaled six, one more than the Bobcats’.
Sophomore midfielder Arion Ulaj had the best chance of the first half-hour, although his shot was hit right at junior goalkeeper Karl Netzell, who made the easy save.
Marist did not record a single corner kick in a relatively quiet first half. Quinnipiac had three, in addition to their five shots (three on target). The Red Foxes fired six shots, all on target.
Marist broke the deadlock under a minute into the second half when a free kick from the right side found the head of sophomore defender Nicholas Sanchez.
The fouls continued to pile up, with 25 being called within the first 65 minutes of the match. Marist contributed 11 of those, compared to the Bobcat’s 14. Quinnipiac’s 14 fouls warranted 4 yellow cards, putting some of the Bobcat’s players in danger of being sent off while chasing a goal at home.
As time ticked down the shots continued to pile up for Marist, reaching 11 (eight on target) with under 10 minutes to play. Quinnipiac, in comparison, had eight total with only five on target.
Marist graduate student goalkeeper Jamie Lowell faced only seven total shots, making three saves in what has been a strong stretch for him and the entire Marist defense.
Marist iced the game two minutes later when a deep run by junior midfielder Jonathan Salguero led to a cross that freshman forward Chris Verheul hammered home.
Quinnipiac’s biggest chance to mount a late-game comeback came when freshman forward William Holum had a penalty saved by Lowell, who earned a yellow card a minute later.
The Red Foxes defense held on, earning their second shutout of the season. The first was a 1-0 win at Army, Marist’s first win of the year. Marist also got just their second win on the road, improving to 2-5. The Bobcat’s loss was their third of the year at home, with their home record falling to 3-3-1.
Marist will look to build on today’s result as they continue MAAC play on Wednesday, October 23. The Red Foxes stay in-state for a match at Iona, with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m.
Edited by Marley Pope
Graphic credit: Victoria Guardino
Photo credit: Kira Crutcher
For more coverage of Marist athletics, follow @cfmarist on Instagram, X and TikTok, and sign up to receive daily alerts here.