No. 20-ranked Marist traveled to take on Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday, winning their second MAAC game 2-1 and staying unbeaten.
Sophomore defender Gijs Verheul opened the scoring in the 16th minute, scoring his team-leading fourth goal.
The Red Foxes (6-0-2, 2-0-0 MAAC) scored two goals in the first half, with senior attacker Jonathan Salguero assisting Verheul for the first and junior defender Ethan Ortiz adding to the lead in the 31st minute. Ortiz’s goal, the first of his career, came off an assist from senior midfielder Skylar Cunha.
Marist’s two-goal lead did not last long after the second goal, as graduate student goalkeeper Jamie Lowell committed a foul in the box, conceding a penalty and earning a yellow card. Sophomore midfielder Eliot O’Neil, who won the penalty, stepped up and sent Lowell the wrong way to get his side on the board.
The Mountaineers (1-4-3, 1-1-0 MAAC) put up a single shot on target in the match, only finding the frame on O’Neil’s finish. As a result, Lowell did not make a single save. Marist continued their strong shooting performances this season, firing 14 total attempts.
Yellow cards came flying throughout the match, with Red Foxes’ freshman defender Will Salivonchik getting dealt the first just four minutes into the game. He was involved in multiple other challenges in the next ten minutes and was subbed off in the 15th minute. Salivonchik did not see the field after leaving early, with junior midfielder Arion Ulaj filling in at right-back.
Lowell also received a yellow for Marist for his tackle on O’Neil, and sophomore attacker Chris Verheul got one of his own in the 14th minute. Sophomore defender Antoine DeCoteau received the lone Mountaineer first-half booking in the 32nd minute.
Marist had the first big chance of the second half as Cunha sent a corner which found the head of graduate student defender Liam Evans. Evans connected strongly, but did not direct his shot goalward and missed wide left.
The Mountaineers controlled a lot of possession in the second half as the visitors sat back when the ball entered their half, denying passing lanes and forcing their hosts to attempt risky passes. This led to five Marist fouls in the second half, although the Mount did not capitalize.
Sophomore midfielder Caio Cavaletti entered the game in the 34th minute and logged nearly a full hour on the field, shooting three times with one on target, as well as earning a yellow card in the 67th minute.
Neither side appeared particularly threatening in the second frame. Marist sent two shots out of eight on frame, but both were dealt with easily by senior goalie Julian Marcos. The Mountaineers didn’t test Lowell once; they were dealt four yellows and had fewer corners compared to the first 45 minutes.
Chris Verheul was fouled a few times throughout the second half and was eventually substituted in the 83rd minute as freshman midfielder Miles Douglas took his place. Verheul, who has two goals and two assists on the year, largely failed to impact the game as he took just one shot and received a yellow.
Senior midfielder Fabian Perez scared Marist’s defense with under a minute to go, getting space to send a volley at the net. Perez’s shot strayed way over the net and sent Lowell chasing as the clock ran out.
This win continues Marist’s longest unbeaten run and places them atop the MAAC. The Red Foxes don’t get much rest coming up, hosting Fairfield and Niagara within a week.
Fairfield travels south to Poughkeepsie on Wednesday; kickoff for each team’s third MAAC match is set for 7 p.m.
Edited by Ben Leeds
Photo by Cassidy Connors
Graphic by Isabel Cortese
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