RIVERDALE, N.Y. – In a closely-contested matchup with one of the top teams in the MAAC, the Niagara Purple Eagles men's soccer team endured a narrow 1-0 loss to the Manhattan Jaspers Wednesday afternoon at Gaelic Park. The Jaspers took the lead with a goal in the 28th minute by Lucas Da Silva. Niagara nearly tied the game in the 81st minute on a header shot from Konrad Zydowicz, but his chance was bested by Manhattan keeper Marcellin Gohier to keep Manhattan in front for the win.
 
Game Summary

• Final Score: Manhattan 1, Niagara 0
• Niagara Goals: n/a
• Niagara Assists: n/a
• In Goal: Steve Casey (1-9-2) – 1 GA, 4 SV
• Records: Niagara – 2-12-2 (1-6-1 MAAC); Manhattan – 9-7-0 (6-3-0 MAAC)
• Location: Gaelic Park – Riverdale, N.Y.
• Attendance: 164

 
Game Recap

• The Purple Eagles threatened Manhattan early with four consecutive corner kicks starting in the 13th minute. Borna Juracic had a header shot blocked off the first corner set up by Zulfikar Karimi, and Josh Tufino just missed the net past the 14-minute mark.
• Manhattan's Greg Bohn came back one minute later and ripped a shot past Niagara's Steve Casey, but off the crossbar. Casey then made a follow-up stop after the Jaspers' Luke Greaves collected the rebound.
• In the 28th minute, Callum Carsley placed a cross in the middle of the box for Lucas Da Silva, who placed his seventh goal of the season past Casey to put the Jaspers ahead 1-0.
• Karimi found Niagara's first shot on goal just past the 39-minute mark, a chance that was turned away by Manhattan goalkeeper Marcellin Gohier.
• Konrad Zydowicz started the second half chances for Niagara with a header shot that sailed high of the goal.
• The Purple Eagles were then held without a shot for over 20 minutes before the team found its best chance of the game in the 81st minute, when Zydowicz made a diving attempt for a header shot, but he could not find the way to the back of the net looking for his second goal in three games.
• Matthew Krucko-Moeller and Mbongeni Tshuma had late chances for the Purple Eagles but could not find the goal with their shots as Niagara dropped a 1-0 decision to the Jaspers.

 
Coach's Corner

• Head coach Bill Boyle: "Today we stuck to our plan throughout and I thought we could have earned a result. Unfortunately we gave a counter early on that Manhattan capitalized on, and we did everything we could to get the goal back but couldn't finish. I commend our group for continuing to fight, and for players like Alek Wendland and Andrew Francisco stepping up in the wake of some injuries. We look forward to Senior Night on Saturday to honor our guys and continue to build on our process."

 
Up Next

• Niagara hosts Senior Night on Saturday, Oct. 28 before taking on the Fairfield Stags in the team's home finale. Opening kick between Niagara and Fairfield is set for 7 p.m.

 
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