Canisius scored twice in the opening 10 minutes of the second half to break open a scoreless contest and post a 2-0 victory over Daemen in collegiate men’s soccer exhibition action Sunday at the Demske Sports Complex.
Sophomore Tarek El-Zammar and freshman Edson Flores found the back of the net for the Golden Griffins. Canisius keepers junior Jack Petrie and senior Spencer Catalano combined to record the shutout, teaming up to make two saves.
The best chance for either team during a scoreless first half came during the 14th minute, when junior Ely Sidibe collected a Daemen turnover at the top of the box and fired a shot towards the open Wildcat goal, but Daemen keeper Harry Firth was able to recover and make a diving stop to keep the game scoreless.
Canisius got on the board less than two minutes into the second half as Flores drew a foul in the box, earning the Golden Griffins a penalty kick. El Zammar made the most of the opportunity, depositing his attempt into the center of the Daemen goal to give Canisius the 1-0 lead.
The Griffs doubled their lead in the 55th minute as junior Dylan Rice played a through ball down the left side that freshman Matthew Fischer collected and sent through the box to an oncoming Flores, who buried his shot into the left side of the cage to make it a 2-0 contest.
Canisius out-shot Daemen by a 23-9 margin for the contest, highlighted by a 13-4 advantage in the second half. The Griffs also attempted five of the six corner kicks awarded during exhibition match.
Firth and Arturo Bustamanate combined to record 10 stops in goal for the visiting Wildcats.
Up Next
Canisius opens the 2023 regular season Thursday at St. Francis (Pa.). Opening kickoff between the Griffs and Red Flashes is slated for 3 p.m. at the Stokes Soccerplex in Loretto, Pa.
