NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
LEXINGTON, V.A. — Niagara men’s soccer got off to a hot start at VMI on Sunday afternoon and withstood a late barrage to earn a 3-1 victory over the Keydets. Mbongeni Tshuma opened the scoring for the Purple Eagles and added an assist for a three-point outing.
- 48′ – Luca Pacheco nearly made it a 2-0 game by getting the goalkeeper out of position, but from a wide angle, the shot deflected and hit the side of the net.
- 50′ – On the ensuing corner, Luigi Boa Morte ripped a long ball across the field where Tshuma settled it and tapped it over to Borna Juracic, who doubled the Niagara lead with a high shot into the mesh.
- 52′ – The Purple Eagles continued to press the Keydets, with shots from Bautista Pedezertgoing high and a Boa Morte attempt thwarted by VMI’s netminder.
- 69′ – After VMI got on the board, Pedezert restored the two-goal lead thanks to a helper from Krucko-Moeller.
- 74′ – Tshuma nearly potted his second goal of the contest, but the shot missed just wide.
- 77′ – With the Keydets suddenly threatening, the defense stiffened up and blocked two shots and deflected two others off target. Casey added a save just prior to the sequence that kept VMI at arm’s length.
- 82′ – A low burner from Josh Tufino was just within the grasp of the VMI goalie, who made a diving save to keep the ball out of the left lower corner.
Coach’s Corner
- Head coach Bill Boyle: “We took care of this win to get the weekend split. We learned from Friday to be tighter defensively and attack more efficiently, but we know we can still get better. VMI is a well-coached team of disciplined soldiers and they don’t quit. They tested us until the final whistle.”
Up Next
- Niagara renews its rivalry with the Bonnies at Saint Bonaventure on Saturday, Sept. 15. Opening kick is set for 7 p.m.
All WNY is made possible thanks to coffee and sleep deprivation.
We appreciate your readership. We like money, too.
