Brotherly Game Archive
Villanova falls in OT to Rider; Temple roll in stadium opener
Villanova and Temple just two of six games involving local D1 teams in first day of college season
Down a goal Rider showed why they were an NCAA tournament team in 2015, fighting back with a 59th minute equalizer and a goal off a free kick in the first overtime to spoil Villanova’s home opener on Friday afternoon.
After a scoreless first half where teams threatened on both ends but didn’t create much by way of clear chances, Miguel Polley and Lucas Hodges combined to set up a take down and penalty in the box that Hodges converted to put the home side up in the 51st minute.
The Broncs put things on level terms eight minutes later when Jose Aguinaga found Adrien Huss in the box and the senior from Madrid beat goalkeeper Will Steiner.
Both teams had chances to win it in regulation, but Steiner and his counterpart Ryan Baird both stepped up with big saves to push the game into a sudden death overtime.
With time running out in the first overtime period, senior Christian Flath stepped up and buried the equivalent of a walk-off homerun – known in soccer as a smash and grab – with a free kick from 25 yards out that stunned the home crowd at Higgins Soccer Complex.
Philadelphia Union Academy grad Shane Bradley was one of four freshman in the starting XI on Friday, pairing with Nikkye DePoint on the back line while Andres Camacho started at right back and Red Bulls Academy grad Sean Teixeira started in the midfield. Union Academy grad Conor Bradley and two other freshman – Jacob Anderson and Jack Gilliam – came off the bench. Union Academy grad Zach Zandi didn’t play.
Three-goal first half lifts Temple
The new era of Temple men’s soccer on Broad Street got off to a great start Friday afternoon with a 3-0 win over Manhattan in front of a capacity crowd powered by three first half goals.
Senior captain Matt Mahoney got the offense started early just four minutes into the game when he set up Hermann Doerner for a goal from just outside the box. Doerner, a second-year player from Germany, turned creator just four minutes later when he started an attack on the left side of the field and set up Stefan Mueller, who made a pinpoint pass to Joonas (back-flip PK) Jokinen for the tap in.
Senior striker Jorge Gomez Sanchez made it 3-0 when he opened his 2016 scoring account from the spot in the 27th minute after Doerner was fouled in the box.
Goalkeeper Alex Cagle made a pair of saves to preserve the clean sheet.
Guillermo Delgado powers Delaware to victory
Guillermo Delgado got his senior season off to a great start with a pair of goals and an assist to lead the Blue Hens to a 3-0 win over Bucknell.
Union Academy grad John Schroeder chipped in an assist and Dani Laguna had a goal and assist for UD. West Chester native Todd Morton made four saves to preserve the clean sheet.
Afflerbach, Klemm lead Drexel to hard-fought draw
Drexel saw two of its best players leave with injuries – defender Ilai Shvika in the first half, midfielder Erik Alexandersson in the second – but still held on to a scoreless draw on the road against St. John’s.
Goalkeeper Tyler Afflerbach made five saves – including a huge double-save in the first half – to keep the clean sheet and freshman Daniel Klemm made a huge goal-line clearance and another key intervention for Drexel.
Freshman forward Carlos Cuevas nearly connected on his first career goal when he clanged one off the cross bar. The Dragons had several other chances to win it, but so too did the home side.
La Salle and Lehigh post 1-0 victories
Matt Robinson’s return to the Explorers squad after missing all of last season became a memorable one when he buried a penalty kick in the 63rd minute to lift La Salle to a 1-0 win in new head coach Rob Irvine’s first game.
Fifth-year goalkeeper Mike Kirk registered his 11th career shutout in the match.
Lehigh also started off on a winning note with a 1-0 win over James Madison. Oscar Green scored the lone goal late in the 84th minute off an assist from Mark Forrest and goalkeeper Jacob Gottwald made six saves to preserve the clean sheet.