The 2014 season continues to gain momentum for the NYU men’s soccer team. On Wednesday evening, looking to start their season with three consecutive wins, they took on the College of Staten Island Dolphins at Gaelic Park in the Bronx.

It was a game that quickly went from a monotonous affair to a dramatic slugfest, an aspect of the sport that can go up and down in the blink of an eye.

Things did not start out ideally for the Violets. In a fairly subdued first half, both teams racked up three shots on goal and combined for 12 total shots.

The Dolphins got the upper hand in the 31st minute, when sophomore defender Nicholas Bacarella scored with an assist from Horatio Reid. Staten Island went into the locker room with a well-deserved 1-0 lead.

The Violets stormed out of the gates after halftime and quickly answered with a 55th minute goal from freshman forward Malcolm Montilus, who beat the keeper and a defender to score on an empty net. It was his first goal as a Violet. Just one minute later, Montilus racked up his first assist, helping sophomore forward Reece Barton give NYU a 2-1 lead.

Their second-half momentum would continue with a more energized and aggressive style of play that consistently kept the ball in Staten Island’s zone.

But the Dolphins refused to go down easily. In the 83rd minute, Staten Island knotted the score at two with a clutch goal from Horatio Reid.

“We kept our heads up and were confident,” Barton said, despite the letdown.

NYU outnumbered CSI in both total shots (26-6) and shots on goal (12-3), with the Dolphins managing only three shots on goal in the second half against sophomore goalie Lucas Doucette, who had replaced junior Nick Cantor.

Even with the stats in NYU’s favor, the game was tied after 90 minutes. The two teams played two extra 10-minute periods, and finally the Violets’ opportunity arose.

With an assist from sophomore midfielder Hector Rojas, sophomore forward Walsh bodied in the deciding goal in the 106th minute to give the Violets a dramatic 3-2 victory.

“I think everyone on the field tonight had a tremendous amount of energy, especially going into overtime,” Walsh said. “Our style of play showed that we were hungry for a win at home. We are optimistic about this season and plan to constantly progress in the upcoming months.”

The Violets find new ways to win every night and, as the season continues, more attention will be focused on a team that at this point seems to have a knack for pulling out victories.

“Tonight’s game was a really good challenge for us as a team,” sophomore and captain Petter Aasa said. “We definitely have a lot to work on both physically and tactically, but we have a team full of talent, and we are working hard everyday to win the UAA this year.”

The Violets will look to make it four wins in a row when they take on the City College of New York on Sept. 10.

A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, Sept. 4 print edition. Email Michael Thompson at [email protected].