By Andrew Snyder, Staff Writer
Junior forward Chris Naiman clinched the 2-1 victory for the men’s soccer team against Marymount University on Oct. 2 with a goal late in the second half.
Heading into the match, Susquehanna was coming off of a difficult 3-1 loss to conference rival Elizabethtown.
Naiman and junior defender Kyle Trainor did the scoring for Susquehanna, each netting their third goal of the season. The two juniors continue to lead the River Hawk offense, as they are responsible for nearly half of the team’s total offensive output.
Marymount applied offensive pressure early on in the contest, rattling off four shots within the first 20 minutes of the game, two of which were handled by senior goalkeeper Matt Ellingworth.
At the 18:31 mark of the first half, Susquehanna capitalized after receiving a penalty kick opportunity. Trainor took the kick for the River Hawks, nailing it through to put Susquehanna ahead 1-0 early on.
Susquehanna responded to Marymount’s aggression on offense, garnering seven shots of their own in the first half of play. The River Hawks would go scoreless for the rest of the first period, however.
Coming out of halftime, both teams remained scoreless until the 86th minute, when Naiman netted another goal to put Susquehanna ahead 2-0 in the final stages of the match.
Naiman’s goal would prove to be enormous for Susquehanna. Marymount quickly responded with a score of their own, shrinking Susquehanna’s lead to 2-1. The River Hawks were able to evade any other late-game mistakes or unforced errors, retaining a 2-1 lead for the remainder of the match.
Ellingworth was solid in goal for Susquehanna, making three saves while allowing only one shot in net during the contest. For Marymount, junior midfielder Ridwaan Robinson scored his seventh goal of the season.
Susquehanna came up short against Moravian, losing to the Greyhounds 3-2 in a grueling overtime affair on Oct. 5 in Selinsgrove, Pa.
Susquehanna’s attack was led by freshman midfielder Shayne Davies and senior midfielder Aly Kenawy, who supplied one goal apiece in the losing effort. The River Hawks launched 17 shots on goal, but it was not enough.
Ellingworth allowed two goals in regulation, making one save while facing eight total shots on the afternoon.
For the Greyhounds, sophomore midfielder Anthony Nagy provided most of the Moravian offensive output. Nagy netted two goals for Moravian, including the heartbreaker that clinched the River Hawks’ loss.
There was limited offensive pressure from both sides early in the contest, as no goals were recorded in the early stages of the match. Susquehanna struggled with discipline in the rst half, leading to inconsistent ow on both sides of the ball.
The River Hawks were not held scoreless for the entirety of the first half, however. Da- vies drilled a header into the back of the net in the 42nd min- ute to give the River Hawks a 1-0 lead. The goal was Davies’ first of his collegiate career.
Moravian responded quickly just before halftime, scoring a goal two minutes after Susquehanna grabbed the lead, knotting the score at 1-1.
Susquehanna continued to apply pressure early in the second half, leading to a goal off the foot of Kenawy, his first of the season. A 2-1 lead would prove to not be enough for the River Hawks.
A series of Susquehanna penalties led to a penalty kick for Moravian at the 81st minute. Nagy converted the at- tempt, which forced the game to overtime at 2-2.
With 22 seconds into the overtime period, Nagy scored to ultimately secure the 3-2 victory for the Greyhounds.
The River Hawks will next take on Landmark Conference-rival Catholic at 1 p.m. on Oct 12 at Cardinal Stadium in Washington, D.C.