Both soccer teams took to the pitch over the weekend, impressing in their openers but losing in their next games at Gaelic Park in the Bronx.

In the opening game against Hunter College, the men’s team rallied in the second half, scoring two goals to overcome an early one-goal deficit and held on for a 2-1 victory.

Hunter scored in the first minute of play when Brandon Fiscina took a pass down the right side and continued down the line chipping the ball over Violet keeper Lucas Doucette’s head. Neither team scored again until the 83rd minute when NYU freshman midfielder Robert Shellow tied the game on a 35-yard shot. With time winding down, sophomore forward Malcolm Montilus received a pass all alone in front of goal and easily scored, clinching
the game.

The second game against Manhattanville College was a one-sided affair. The Violets fell behind in the 14th minute after a goal by Manhattanville’s Omar Parra. Things unraveled in the 72nd minute. The Violet defense conceded twice more, before junior striker Bryan Walsh scored late on an assist from attacking partner sophomore Malcolm Montilus to make it 3-1.

This was the first game under new head coach Kim Wyant after Joe Behan suddenly resigned due to family health concerns after the first game of the season. But with a 1-1 record, Montilus is confident that the Violet’s young team, with 13 new players, is constantly making progress.

“Even though we were blindsided by this event our team has stuck together and are still committed to growing as a group,” Montilus said.

The women’s team also began their season strong, defeating Johnson and Wales
University 3-0.

A pair of sophomore forwards McKennah Spagnola and Teressa Fazio were central to the NYU offense. Fazio scored early in the sixth minute off a cross from senior defender Maddy Clappin. Spagnola scored in the 21st minute off an assist from senior forward Melissa Menta and added one more goal in 53rd minute to cap a comfortable victory.

In their second match of the year, against Vassar College, the Violets were bested 2-1 in overtime. Down 1-0, they tied the game on a breakaway by freshman Megan Carver in the 52nd minute. The game would remain at a stalemate for the next hour until Vassar’s Rebecca Andrews scored the golden goal in the 106th minute.

Fazio was encouraged by the team’s loss in their second game, saying that she feels confident in the team’s potential.

“I truly think we’re going to have a very successful season and getting an early loss was important to keep us motivated and focused on our goal of competing for an NCAA championship,” Fazio said.

The men’s team will be back in action to host the City College of New York on Wednesday, Sept. 9 and the women’s team will take the pitch three days later to face Whitman College in the Stevens Institute Cup in Hoboken, New Jersey.

A version of this article appeared in the Sept. 8 print edition. Email Kyle Luther at [email protected].