THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The Maritime men's soccer team opened the 2017 season with a win over the City College of New York Beavers on Saturday evening by a 2-1 score on Reinhart Field.
The Privateers were led by junior
Parker Gallt (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) and freshman
Anthony Palazzolo (Huntington Station, N.Y./Walt Whitman), who both connected on their first goals of the season. Sophomore
Justin Forrest (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) added an assist on Palazzalo's goal in the 57th minute.
In goal, sophomore
Michael Rodriguez (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) stopped three shots as he earned his first victory of the season.
The first 45 minutes of the game were scoreless as the Privateers dominated most of the play with a 17-2 shot advantage. In the opening half, Maritime also held an 8-1 advantage in terms of corner kicks.
Gallt got Maritime on the board just two minutes into the second half as he was awarded a penalty kick and slotted the ball into the lower left corner of the goal, as the Beaver goalkeeper guessed the wrong way.
Maritime continued to keep the offensive tempo and scored once again less than 10 minutes later as Forrest chipped a ball ahead into the box that was headed off the goalkeeper and into the goal by Palazzalo.
In the closing minutes of the game the Beavers began to put some pressure on the Privateers and notched a goal off of a breakaway to trim the lead in half with just 3:40 remaining in the game. The Beavers were unable to get another shot off as Maritime held on for the one-goal victory.
Final shots were well in favor of the Privateers at a 27-8 margin including a 9-4 shot on goal differential. Maritime also held a 12-1 corner kick advantage as Rodriguez made three saves and City College of New York combined for seven saves.
Maritime (1-0) will return to play on Monday evening at 5:30 p.m., when the team hosts the Pratt Cannoneers from Reinhart Field. The game will be a part of a doubleheader with the women's soccer team, which hosts John Jay at 2:00 p.m. on Labor Day.
City College of New York (0-1) will travel to Newark, N.J. on Wednesday evening for a non-conference tilt with the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders with the kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m.
