RINDGE, N.H. (August 30, 2007) –
The University of
Bridgeport scored five unanswered goals in the second half to defeat
Nyack College, 5-1, in the opening game of the 2007 Franklin Pierce
Labor Day Classic on Thursday afternoon at Sodexho Field.
Nyack came out strong in the opening half, holding the 17th-ranked
Purple Knights without a shot on goal and recording three, including
the only goal of the half. The Warriors struck first in the 25th
minute, as Samuel Odoro (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) took a cross off
the foot of Shawn Mowery (Valrico, Fla.) and directed a header
inside the far post. Nyack ended the half with a 3-0 advantage in
shots on goal and a one-goal lead.
In
the second half, however, Bridgeport came out strong against the
Warriors, outshooting Nyack by a 13-3 margin. Matt Gontowicz
(Brooklyn, N.Y./Xavierian) notched the game-tying goal at the 54:49
mark, taking a corner kick from Blaise Njie (Banjul,
Gambia/University of Texas) and heading it into the net from just
inside the six-yard box. The Purple Knights took the lead for good a
mere 17 seconds later, as Gilbert Bayonne (Amityville, N.Y./St. John
the Baptist) stole the ball from the Nyack goalkeeper following a
back pass and one-touched it into an empty net.
Four and a half minutes later, Curt Sutherland (Branford,
Conn./Branford) tallied his first of the game and second of the
season, chipping the ball over the keeper and into the net. The
Purple Knights added two more goals later in the second half to
preserve the victory.
Ryan Brooks-Newton (Selkirk, N.Y./Herkimer CC) made four saves in
net to earn the win for Bridgeport, while Nyack’s Peter Murphy (Cape
Coral, Fla.) made two saves in a losing effort.
Bridgeport (3-0-0) returns to action Saturday afternoon at the
Franklin Pierce Labor Day Classic with a 4:30 p.m. match against
Caldwell College. Nyack (0-2-0) will face #24 Franklin Pierce in the
nightcap scheduled for 7 p.m.
MATCH
STATISTICS & PLAY-BY-PLAY