Adelphi Holds Off Stonehill, 5-2


Freshman Connor O'Brien factored into both of Stonehill's goals today, as he scored in the 56th minute before assisting on classmate Adam Branco's first career tally in the 71st minute.

Freshman midfielder Connor O'Brien extends team-leading point total to 10 with goal and assist

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (September 20, 2014) – Stonehill College pulled to within one score with twenty minutes remaining, but Adelphi University responded with a pair of goals to seal a 5-2 victory this afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) men's soccer action at Motamed Field.

Adelphi senior midfielder Juan Aguiar (Caracas, Venezuela/St. John's University) registered a hat trick in the second half, while freshman Federico De Oliveira (Kenilworth, New Jersey/Brearley) tallied a goal and an assist to lead the Panther offense.

Freshman midfielder Connor O'Brien (Guilderland, New York/Guilderland) scored his team-leading fourth goal of the season for the Skyhawks, and he also assisted classmate Adam Branco's (Naugatuck, Connecticut/Naugatuck) first career score in the 71st minute.

Junior goalkeeper Luke Besse (Hamilton, Massachusetts/Hamilton-Wenham Regional) made five saves but also gave up all five goals in just under 79 minutes of action before giving way to senior keeper Ryan Rincon (Flemington, New Jersey/Hunterdon Central Regional), who stopped one shot in the final 11 minutes. Adelphi senior Ahmad Salamah (Niskayuna, New York/Niskayuna) made three saves for the Panthers.

Adelphi struck for the first of its five goals in the eighth minute, as Oliveira was the recipient of a cross from senior back John Sabal (Valley Stream, New York/NYIT), which he headed into the top right corner of the net.

The Panthers carried their 1-0 lead into the break, before going up 2-0 less than two minutes into the second half on Aguiar's unassisted strike into the lower right corner of the net following a deflection into the 18-yard box.

Stonehill cut Adelphi's lead in half in the 56th minute, as O'Brien found the back of the net following a scramble for the ball in the box, but the Panthers regained their two-score lead just seven minutes later on Aguiar's second of the afternoon.

The Skyhawks again pulled to within a goal at the 70:13 mark, as Branco beat Salamah on a feed from O'Brien. For the second time in ten minutes, however, Aguiar pushed Adelphi's lead to two, this time on a through ball from De Oliveira in the 73rd minute to complete his hat trick.

Senior midfielder Diego Zuniga (West New York, New Jersey/Bryant and Stratton College) capped the scoring with fifteen minutes remaining when he converted a penalty kick opportunity for his fourth goal of the season.

Stonehill (3-2-1, 1-1-0 NE-10) will look to bounce back on Wednesday afternoon, as the Skyhawks are set to host rival Bentley University at Skyhawk Field. Adelphi (4-1, 2-0 NE-10) is back in action on Wednesday as well, when the Panthers host Le Moyne College at Motamed Field.

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