ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The Salisbury University
men's soccer team dropped a close 1-0 non-conference game on Sunday
afternoon at the University of Rochester in front of a crowd of
600.
After scoring 14 goals combined in its last two games, Salisbury
(4-3-1, 1-0 CAC) could not convert on any of its seven shot
attempts. Sophomore Kyle Sterling led all Sea
Gulls with two shots.
The Sea Gulls tied a season-low as they attempted only three
corner kicks in the game compared to eight for Rochester. Salisbury
was also outshot 17-7 as Rochester took 13 first half shots.
Rochester (5-2-1) scored the lone goal of the game at the 18:19
minute mark off the foot of Sean Hantes assisted by Nick Mikolenko.
Hantes beat SU goalie sophomore Greg Wellinghoff.
(2-1), who charged out from the net in an attempt to stifle the
Yellowjackets breakaway.
A minute before Hantes scored, he cracked a shot off the right
post. The rebound came to Bobby Milenovici, who got off a shot that
was blocked. The second rebound fell to Patrick Ripp. His shot from
outside the area was saved by Wellinghoff.
Salisbury counterattacked, but the Yellowjackets took it away at
the edge of their own penalty area. Mikolenko played a long ball
down the left sideline to Hantes who got behind a defender. He cut
into the box and lifted the ball into the right side of the net at
18:19. It was just beyond the reach of Wellinghoff who charged off
the line to challenge.
Eight minutes later, a Mikolenko corner kick was headed off the
Salisbury line by Justin McGrath. Salisbury's best
chance came with 11 minutes left in the first half. Mike
Napolitano collected a pass from left wing, pivoted around
a defender, and lifted a shot over the crossbar from 16 yards away.
Hantes was denied a second goal two minutes into the second half
when his riser from the center of the box was caught by Wellington
at the edge of the crease. Ten minutes into the second half, senior
Nick Malone got behind the Rochester defense and
angled towards the center of the box. As he drew back his leg to
shoot, Mikolenko tackled the ball away and UR goalie Michael
Peacock covered it up. Peacock earned his first career shutout as
he made three saves.
With 26 minutes left, SU junior Scott Sparrow
collected a long ball down left wing from McGrath. His rising shot
from the wing was grabbed by Peacock who went full stretch to pull
it in.
A minute later, Milenovici's point-blank header from left wing
was saved by Wellinghoff. The rebound came to Hantes on the right
side of the box and his follow up shot was blocked. Wellinghoff
recorded his first loss of the year as he stopped seven UR shots.
Napolitano took away a Rochester clearance and swung the ball
into the goalmouth with 18 minutes left. The ball got past Peacock.
Salisbury freshman forward Chris Finney ran at the
back post but couldn't get to it cleanly as the UR defense cleared
the ball out.
In the last six minutes, Peacock saved a shot by sophomore
Alex Hargrove, palmed out a right wing cross by
senior Zach Grubb and made a diving interception
of a cross from Sparrow on the left flank. With just under two
minutes to go, he pushed McGrath's left wing cross wide of the post
for a corner kick which proved harmless.
SU looks to bounce back on Wednesday, September 26, at home as
the Sea Gulls host former CAC member Goucher College at 4 p.m.
University of Rochester Sports Information contributed to
this release
