FAIRFIELD, Conn. — A thrilling goal by Danny Istambouli in the 80th minute lifted the Sacred Heart men's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Mount Saint Mary's on Saturday afternoon at Park Avenue Field, keeping the Pioneers undefeated in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play.
Records:
Sacred Heart (5-3-2, 4-0 MAAC)
Mount St. Mary's (1-5-4, 1-2 MAAC)
Top Performers:
Danny Istambouli – 1 goal, 1 shot on goal
Matt Sarro - 1 assist
David Garcia Gallego – 6 shots
Between the Pipes:
SHU: Luca Marinelli (W, 5-1-1) – 2 saves, 0 goals allowed
MSM: Julian Marcos – 7 saves, 1 goal allowed
How It Happened:
The first half saw plenty of pressure from the Pioneers but no breakthrough, as Sacred Heart outshot Mount St. Mary's 12-0 in the opening 45 minutes.
The momentum continued in the second half, and in the 75th minute, senior captain David Garcia Gallego put SHU ahead with a shot that struck the crossbar. Just five minutes later, Istambouli capitalized on a setup from first-year Matt Sarro, finding the back of the net to give the Pioneers the decisive 1-0 lead.
In the final minute, Mount Saint Mary's nearly equalized when the Mountaineers fired a dangerous shot, but Luca Marinelli came up with an athletic save to preserve the clean sheet and secure three points for Sacred Heart.
Of Note:
Up Next:
The Pioneers continue MAAC play on Saturday, Oct. 11, when they travel to Siena with a 3 p.m. kickoff at Hickey Field.
