SHEPHERDSTOWN, W. Va. — After back-to-back ties, men's soccer delivered a much-needed bounce back game. The Warriors defeated the Shepherd Rams with a 3-0 statement on Saturday afternoon. ESU moves to 4-0-2 in conference play, getting back to just one point behind Millersville for the top of the standings.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Warriors controlled the early offense of the game, forcing a relentless attack on the Rams. After rattling off four shots in just the first 15 minutes of the game,
Owen Rennie rebounded a blocked shot by Cardona and after
Steven Arias served as the middleman, the ball found its way back to Cardona for the first score of the game.
• Even after the goal, the ESU assault didn't let up. With six more chances at the net, the Warriors maintained the ball for most of the half but couldn't manage to find the back of the net again before the end of the half.
• The second half started as much more of a back-and-forth game with both teams getting looks at the net. That changed in the 62nd minute when ESU's leading scorer, Arias, once again drilled a goal to put the Warriors up, 2-0.
• Now with a safety goal to prevent yet another heartbreaking tie, ESU turned to a much more conservative game, not putting up another shot for the next 25 minutes and holding Shepherd to just three in that time. But, in the final two minutes of play,
Jake van Lierop rounded out the game with a third goal for the Warriors, effectively ending the game.
GAME NOTES
• A total of three different players scored for ESU; the third time the team has done it this season. The most recent occasion was the home matchup against Shippensburg which saw Arias and van Lierop as well.
• Arias' goal goes as his eighth of the year, extending his lead as the top goal scorer in the PSAC East. Van Lierop's goal was the second of his career, tying him with Rennie and
Bat-Od Buman-Uchral in goals on the season. Cardona's score is his fourth on the year, breaking the sophomore's 24-day scoreless drought.
UP NEXT
The Warriors return to Eiler-Martin stadium for their second matchup against the West Chester Golden Rams. After beating them 1-0 earlier in the season, ESU will be looking to repeat with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. on Oct. 14.
