THROGGS NECK, N.Y. (Sept. 13, 2014) – For the second straight home game, the Maritime men's soccer team saw a two-goal lead disappear in the second half, but unlike last Saturday against CCNY, the Privateers answered late in the game to claim an exciting 3-2 victory over New Jersey City University this afternoon at Reinhart Field. Maritime improves to 2-3 overall on the season, while the Gothic Knights fall to 1-4-2.
 
It was senior David Hraska Jr. (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford)'s header goal in the 87th minute that proved to be the difference. With the score knotted at 2-2 and the game seeming to be destined for overtime, as the women's soccer game against Mass. Maritime had gone to earlier in the day at Reinhart Field, the Privateers were awarded a free kick deep in NJCU territory. The kick was taken by junior Patrick McCarty (East Rockaway, N.Y./East Rockaway), and sailed high into the middle of the box. Hraska leaped and nudged it past Gothic Knights' junior keeper Tyler Krychkowski into the top left side of the net with 3:03 remaining in regulation.
 
Maritime scored the first two goals of the game in the first half. The first came on a beautiful lead pass by sophomore Andrew Barry (New Paltz, N.Y./New Paltz) from the right side into the middle that led classmate Kieran Donnelly (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) to a breakaway. Donnelly directed the ball past Krychkowski into the lower right corner to put the Privateers up 1-0 in the 22nd minute.
 
Just over a minute later, Maritime was awarded a throw-in deep in the New Jersey City half and who better to toss it in than senior Tim Swinehart (Clearwater, Fla./Central Catholic), who already has one assist off a throw-in so far this season and had six last year. Swinehart's throw-in met the head of Donnelly, who directed it down to the foot of junior Renato Chira-Farfan (Miraflores, Peru/Mahopac (N.Y.)), who blasted it into the net for his third of the season, putting the home squad up 2-0.
 
In the second half, it was NJCU's turn to score two quick goals. Sophomore Davauni Brown got his shot from 35 yards out just passed Maritime junior keeper Karl Weber (Northport, N.Y./Northport) in the 63rd minute. The shot was blasted in after a frantic sequence in front of the net where two shots were blocked and then saved and Weber's reaction to the third shot was just a bit late and the ball went through his hands and trickled into the net.
 
Under three minutes later, the Gothic Knights had a scramble in front of the Maritime net off of corner kick and in the pile of players, a Maritime defender touched the ball with his arm in the box and a penalty kick was called. Senior Michael Cedeno was called upon to take the PK and beat weber to the bottom left side to tie the game.
 
Hraska's late strike to give Maritime the 3-2 lead was followed up by a great chance by NJCU just under a minute later. Freshman Benedict Adundo was one-vs.-one with Weber in the middle of the field; he charged into the box and chipped a shot over Weber that rang off the left side of the crossbar and stayed out of the net. The Privateers hung on for the final two minutes to claim the victory.
 
Weber ended the game with eight saves, while his counterpart, Krychkowski made five stops. In total, NJCU outshot Maritime, 22-14.
 
The Privateers return to action on Monday night, Sept. 15, with a home contest against the Coast Guard Academy. Action against the Bears is set to get underway at 7 p.m. at Reinhart Field.