Box Score LYNDHURST, N.J. – Midfielders Rafa Coronel (Mexico City, Mexico/Thomas Jefferson Institute), a graduate student, and freshman Jorge Pelayo (Clifton, N.J./DePaul Catholic) scored second-half goals to lead Felician College to a come-from-behind 2-1 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference men's soccer victory over visiting Chestnut Hill College on Saturday night at the Lyndhurst Recreation Complex.
Chestnut Hill (3-3-2, 2-1-2 CACC) entered Saturday in second place in the 13-team CACC. Felician snapped a five-game losing streak and ended a five-match unbeaten stretch for the Griffins.
Chestnut Hill led the day in shots, 16-11, and corner kicks, 7-2. However, Golden Falcon sophomore goalkeeper John Burns (Saddle Brook, N.J./Saddle Brook) mitigated those advantages by making nine saves. Burns leads the CACC with 59 saves on the season.
The initial 45 minutes ended scoreless. Felician (2-6, 1-3) knocked on the door when freshman Kenny Monfort (Spring Valley, N.Y./St. Joseph-Montvale [N.J.]) hit the crossbar with a shot in the 23rd minute. CHC's best opportunity came in the closing seconds of the period, when the Golden Falcons were called for a foul just outside of the 18-yard box. With a yellow card halting the game clock, Griffin captain Nicholas Jaffé (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Objetivo) blasted a free kick wide of the frame.
The game's pace quickened early in the second half. With 5:02 gone by, Chestnut Hill was awarded a penalty kick. Jaffe's low shot to the left was saved by Burns, but the rebound trickled just inches away, and Jaffe beat Burns to the ball and pushed it past him for the game's first goal.
The Golden Falcons quickly answered. In the 52nd minute, junior defender Conner Stephens (Blairstown, N.J./North Warren) was able to reach the box with a throw-in. Coronel jumped for a header and sent it inside the far post to knot the score. It was the first point of Stephens' career.
The eventual game-winning goal was made possible by the defensive efforts of junior Jessie Cerdas (Ridgefield Park, N.J./Ridgefield Park). After blocking a Jaffé shot, Cerdas made a slide tackle to gain possession for Felician. The Golden Falcons went on the counter-attack, and Monfort played a ball over the top to Pelayo, who pushed it past charging goalkeeper Miguel Gonzalez-Escobar (Denver, Colo./Bruce Randolph) at 61:13.
Jaffé topped all players with seven shots, while Coronel paced Felician with four. Gonzalez-Escobar was credited with three saves.
