Box Score Rutherford NJ - Felician University Men's Soccer hosted this afternoon against Bridgeport in the Quarterfinalsof the CACC Tournament. In what would start off with the Golden Falcons backs against the walls, the team didn't give up as they would push right back leading to a 4-1 victory. Here's a breakdown of what transpired.
First Half - Felician faced an early setback in the first half when Bridgeport scored the game's opening goal just 2:57 into the match. Despite the early deficit, Felician responded with an aggressive offensive push. Massimo Girardi had a notable chance at 13:23, hitting the post. Felician's persistence paid off at 15:35, when Manuel Otero scored with an assist from Kohta Yamanashi, tying the game 1-1. Later in the half, Felician capitalized again as Girardi found the net at 26:03 off an assist from Tim Jaeger, putting Felician ahead 2-1 The defensive line consisting of Alvaro Martin Castedo, Kohta Yamanashi, Andreas Mortensen, and Alex Ramos stayed strong and didn't allow the opposing team have any more opportunities the rest of this half, leading to a score of 2-1 heading into the second half.
Second Half - In the second half, Felician continued their momentum. At 48:11, Tim Jaeger scored a goal assisted by Girardi, extending Felician's lead to 3-1. Felician maintained control and put further pressure on Bridgeport's defense. The final goal for Felician came at 67:35, with Jaeger scoring his second goal of the game, assisted by Nic Robinson. This goal solidified Felician's lead at 4-1, which they held until the final whistle. Felician's balanced attack and key saves from goalie Emanuele Moretti helped them secure the victory, with two goals scored in each half for a decisive 4-1 win.
Golden Falcons Player Of The Game - The Golden Falcons Player Of The Game goes to Tim Jaeger. He recorded 2 goals and 1 assist during today's game that helped the Golden Falcons advance to the semi finals.
After the game, we asked Head Coach Brandon Levine what the difference is this season compared to previous seasons, "Experience is the easiest thing most people would say, and I would agree it's important. We've failed to achieve our goals the last 2 years, and that experience drives the group. The thing I would highlight that is more important is our depth this year. We played 25 or so guys vs Dominican on Thursday, and we've had as many 30 guys appear in games earlier this season. We have spread out our minutes and rotated the team and we believe we have 30 guys ready to compete for the CACC and NCAA titles."
The Golden Falcons get two days off, but compete in the Semi Finals for the first time since 2011 at the #2 seed Georgian Court on Wednesday, November 13th at 1:00 PM.
