Box Score Pioneers Fall to Robert Morris 3-1
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Mahmoud Kafel (Fairfield, Conn.) scored his fourth goal of the season Sunday at Campus Field, but the Robert Morris Colonials scored 24 seconds into the second half to break a 1-1 tie and eventually win 3-1.
Robert Morris (6-8-2, 1-3-1 NEC) scored three minutes into the game when Raphael Bruzual fired a shot from 20 yards out that just snuck under the crossbar. Sacred Heart (0-13-2, 0-4-1 NEC) responded in the sixth minute. Kafel took a pass from Dylan Santos (Rahway, N.J.) in the 18-yard box and fired a shot right past Colonials goalkeeper Brenden Alfery to tie the game at 1-1. The Pioneers nearly broke the tie in the26th minute when Jamal Vinson (Teaneck, N.J.) took a long pass from Ezra Siyadhuba (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe) and put a shot right at Alfery that was saved. One minute later, Sacred Heart goalkeeper Tucker Hackett (Madison, Conn.) made an acrobatic save on a Jake Cooper bicycle kick in the box, then stopped the rebound try. Sacred Heart's last chance to take the lead into halftime was in the 36th minute when Artur Jorge (Shelton, Conn.) let loose a rocket from 40 yards out that stung the crossbar.
The Colonials broke the 1-1 tie just 24 seconds into the second half. Neco Brett took the ball off of a Pioneer defender in the 18-yard box, took two touches, and snuck a low shot inside the near post to give Robert Morris a 2-1 lead. Sacred Heart came close to tying the game five minutes later when Shaquille Saunchez's (Kingston, Jamaica) header off of a long throw was stopped by Alfery. Kafel also had a shot saved by the Robert Morris goalkeeper in the 66th minute. The Pioneers had a chance to salvage extra time in the 83rd minute. Julian Linke (Niederhausen, Germany) made a long run from defense, playing the ball in the Robert Morris third to Kafel. The junior fired a shot from just outside the 18-yard box that Alfery stopped. The Colonials tacked on one more goal with seven seconds remaining to make the final score 3-1.
Sacred Heart was outshot in the game 20-18 and 11-6 in the second half. Hackett made seven saves as Alfery stopped eight shots.
The Pioneers travel to LIU Brooklyn on Friday, Oct. 31 for a 6 p.m. game.
