Box Score FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart men's soccer team fell in its 2015 season opener to the Vermont Catamounts 1-0 Friday night at Campus Field.
The lone goal was scored in the 12th minute, when Vermont's (1-0-0) Nile Walwyn hammered a shot from the top of the 18-yard box over the outstretched arm of Sacred Heart (0-1-0) goalkeeper Tucker Hackett (Madison, Conn.). The Catamounts played with 10 men for a majority of the match when Walwyn was sent off for a red card in the 29th minute. The Pioneers outshot Vermont 12-5 in the second half, and 18-13 for the game. Ezra Siyadhuba (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe) and Shaquille Saunchez (Kingston, Jamaica) both had shots just miss the goal in the final five minutes.
The Pioneers are back in action on Monday, August 31 at Stony Brook. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
FIRST HALF
- Vermont earned two corner kicks in the first five minutes
- Saunchez had two shots saved in the seventh and ninth minutes, respectively. His chip shot in the ninth minute was cleared off the goalline by a Vermont defender
- The Catamounts scored the lone goal of the match in the 19th minute; Walwyn hit a shot from the top of the 18-yard box off of a cross by Jackson Dayton.
- Siyadhuba had a free kick in the 28th minute saved by Vermont goalkeeper Greg Walton, leading to a corner kick
- In the 31st minute, Siyadhuba played a long ball to Saunchez whose shot went wide of goal
SECOND HALF
- Sacred Heart controlled possession for much of the half with Vermont down to 10 men
- Ermir Celaj had a header go wide in the 56th minute
- Mahmoud Kafel put a long shot on goal in the 61st minute, with a Walton save leading to a SHU corner
- Kieran Walsh put a shot over the crossbar in the 79th minute
- Vermont had a penalty kick in the 84th minute after Hackett fouled a Catamount in the box; Brian Wright attempted the penalty, but Hackett made the save
- Andrew Bregna played a ball to Saunchez inside the 18-yard box in the 87th minute, but Saunchez's shot went right to Walton
