By Eric Brod
Senior Writer
The Bison men’s soccer team recorded three consecutive shutouts this week against Drexel, Monmouth and St. Joseph’s to improve their record to 5-3 on the season. Over the three games, the Orange and Blue relied on stingy defense and outstanding goaltending from Tommy Caso ’12.
On Wednesday night, Caso and the team recorded a 1-0 victory over Drexel. The lone goal was scored by Mayowa Alli ’14 in the 83rd minute off a 40-yard free kick from CK Kumah ’13. The defense suffocated the Dragons all night, limiting them to six total shots with only three on net.
”The defense has really decided to take the amount of goals scored against us early in the season personally,” Alli said. “We were disappointed with the amount of goals we let in and knew that if we wanted to start winning we needed to stop letting in goals.”
On Sunday, the Bison stifled Monmouth in a 2-0 victory. The Orange and Blue received all the offense they would need in the first half when Alli headed in two goals just 6:54 apart. Both were nearly identical plays on corner kicks from Joe Meyer ’14 that allowed Alli to elevate over the defense. The defense, ignited by the return of Andrew Powell ’12 after a back injury, suffocated Monmouth all game, limiting them to 11 shots, although eight of those came in the second half. Caso recorded his second straight shutout for the 16th time in his collegiate career.
Coming off two straight road losses to two ranked opponents, the Orange and Blue rebounded with a 1-0 victory over St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia last Friday. Both teams played solid defense in the first half, and the teams entered the locker rooms with the score locked at zero. At 50:34 of the second half, Kumah launched a free kick that Luke Joyner ’12 was able to head in to break the scoreless tie. Caso stood strong in goal, recording four saves. The Bison had multiple scoring opportunities in the second half, but Hawks goalie Andrew D’Ottavi was also impressive.
The Bison men return to action tomorrow when they open Patriot League play against rival Lehigh. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m.
“Patriot League play is right around the corner. This week we are trying to get everyone prepared for the intensity of the games and the significance of the moment,” Joyner said. “It’s important for us to get off to a good start in league play with a solid performance against Lehigh this weekend, so we are hoping for a great Family Weekend crowd that we can get a victory for.”
