ALBANY, N.Y. – With a pair of second half goals, the Maritime men's soccer team erased a 1-0 halftime deficit to register a key Skyline Conference win on Friday night on the Albany College of Pharmacy campus.
 
Maritime tied the contest just a few minutes following the halftime break, as sophomore Parker Gallt (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) recorded his third goal of the season, off a throw-in from sophomore Joe Merendino (Pawling, N.Y./Pawling), followed by a quick touch past from freshman Justin Forrest (Lusby, Md./Patuxent).
 
Junior Harry Colucci (Port Jefferson, N.Y./Earl L. Vandenmeulen) netted the game-winning strike after taking a pass from freshman Anthony Sblendorio (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore), after the Sage goalkeeper misplayed the ball, allowing Colucci to slot the ball into the vacant net.
 
Overall, Maritime had just four shots on the night, but it was all the Privateers needed to come back for the 2-1 victory. The Gators ended the evening with 17 shots, as freshman goalkeeper Michael Rodriguez (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) made three saves to earn the win for Maritime.
 
Sage got on the board first in the opening stanza, with a 21st minute goal after a solid individual effort put the Gators ahead by a 1-0 margin. Through the first 45 minutes of play the Privateers had just one shot as Sblendorio took a shot that was over the crossbar.
 
In the second half, Maritime began the half with possession and it paid off as the Privateers earned a throw-in to begin the 49th minute of play. Merendino was tasked with the throw-in, who found Forrest, Gallt then bicycle-kicked the ball into the goal to even the score at one.
 
Eight minutes later, the Privateers took advantage of the miscue by the Gator goalkeeper as Colucci sent the ball into the unmanned net off a pass from Sblendorio to give Maritime its first lead of the night at 56:53.
 
Senior Matthew Pavek (Arnold, Md./Broadneck) vied to make it a 3-1 lead on a header shot, but the Sage goalkeeper stopped the shot for his lone save of the night.
 
The Gators nearly tied the game in the 89th minute, as a shot sailed just over the crossbar as a free kick was sent into the box, with a bevy of players in the box, that was chipped just high. The final 37 seconds ticked off the clock and Maritime emerged victorious.
 
Maritime (6-7-0, 2-4-0 Skyline) will be back home on Wednesday evening, when the Privateers play host to the Farmingdale Rams for a home Skyline Conference matchup, with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m.
 
Sage (3-6-3, 1-4-1 Skyline) will be at Yeshiva on Sunday evening at 8:30 p.m. from Votee Park in Teaneck, N.J. for a league matchup.