NYU men’s soccer made the most of a historic weekend, playing in the first ever men’s collegiate soccer game led by female head coaches, NYU’s Kim Wyant and the University of Chicago’s Julianne Sitch, on Friday, Oct. 28. Matched up against No. 1 UChicago, NYU ended a nine-year losing skid against UChicago in a tie.

The Violets not only kept the Maroons from scoring, but did so with 10 players to UChicago’s 11 after losing sophomore forward Nathan Bennett to a red-card ejection in the 29th minute. NYU amassed nine shots, two shots on goal and five saves by senior goalkeeper Luca Mancuso, compared to the Maroons’ eight shots, five shots on goal and two saves.

“For the significance of this game, to play the number one team in the country to go down a man 20 minutes into the game, you couldn’t have asked for a more dramatic script,” Wyant said. “Although this game was a draw, it feels like a victory. I couldn’t be more proud of the guys.”

The Violets finished off the weekend with a 3-0 win against Washington University in St. Louis on Sunday, Oct. 30, in a fitting send-off to the team’s seniors following their last home game of the season. The team raised the aggression early, scoring its first goal in the 17th minute and totaling five shots on goal compared to WashU’s one. 

The final goal in the 57th minute marked the second of the afternoon for sophomore forward Joe Leslie and secured the Violets’ 3-0 win. NYU’s victory brought the team’s senior day to a bittersweet send-off for seniors Mancuso, Nicholas Suter, Alex Rovirosa-Illa, Talal Said and Keegan Ledger. Both Mancuso and Leslie were named University Athletic Association Athletes of the Week after their performances over the weekend. 

NYU’s record stands at 8-4-3 heading into its last match against Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5

Contact Kaylyn Sawada-Zinni at [email protected].