Fresh turf and new cleats marked the beginning of a new season for the NYU men’s soccer team. On Saturday, Aug. 31, the Violets opened up the season with a home game victory over Baruch College at Gaelic Park by a score of 3-2.
The men rallied back to claim the victory, scoring two late goals in the second half. Baruch midfielder Kevin Romero scored the first goal at the 30-minute mark. Not to be outdone, NYU senior defender Joseph Lee responded only two minutes later with a header from a cross by senior midfielder Colm Dillane, knotting the game at one before going into halftime.
During the second half, Baruch forward Oren Kozlowski put another point on the board. Fighting to regain momentum, Violet freshman forward Reece Barton tied the score at 2-2 in the 77th minute, assisted by senior midfielder Chris Ramirez.
But the freshman would not stop his scoring streak there. Barton went on to score the winning goal in the 83rd minute after blowing past the last defender.
“Today’s performance showed that, as a team, we can connect the ball and play well,” Joe Behan said, head coach.
Behan, in his 18th season as head coach for the Violets, explained how he is simply taking the season one day at a time and hopes for a successful UAA conference play.
He was aided by new recruits, who are filling big shoes after a stellar senior class graduated last year.
“Even though we lost a strong senior class, the new recruits are just as strong,” Lee said.
“Being down early, we had to dig and work until the last minute of the game, which definitely shows that we have character this year,” Weisbaum said.
However, the Violets’ victory did more than just showcase the team’s strengths. It also displayed some areas for improvement.
“There’s plenty of work to be done for the season in order to achieve our main goal of playing in the NCAA tournament this year,” Weisbaum said.
From fitness to communication and organization on the defensive line, the Violets must continue to fight hard to win their conference in order to earn a coveted spot in the NCAA tournament this year.
Last year, the Violets had an early successful surge in the season, kicking off with a 9-0 winning streak. The team captured the Eastern College Athletic
Conference Division III Metro Championship title, the first in 11 years for the men’s soccer program.
The men return to the pitch on Friday, Sept. 6 at 11 a.m. at the Brooklyn College Field against Brooklyn College.
Michelle Tran is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].