Soccer kicks off

By Amanda King
Collegian Reporter
August 30, 2006

Sunday’s match against the Rider University Broncs was an uphill battle for the Explorer men’s soccer team, resulting in a 2-1 loss for La Salle.

It was a tough first half as the two teams battled to score the first goal. The Broncs were the first to do so with 10 minutes left in the first period. It was Rider’s Mike Juska who put his shot on goal past La Salle’s sophomore goaltender Andrew Bernard. This was the only goal of the first half.

“We started out slow but once we got the first game nerves out of the way, we settled down and got into our game,” freshman midfielder Gene Curran said.

The men came into the second half revved up and ready to go, but Juska set them back once again. Fifty-five minutes into the game, he scored his second goal from 25 yards out. This gave the Broncs a 2-0 lead.

However, the duo of sophomore Brian Barry and junior Jeremy Ortiz helped to bring the Explorers right back in it. Barry passed the ball to Ortiz, who dribbled through a bunch of Rider defenders and scored an impressive goal with 20 minutes left in the game. This brought the score to 2-1.

“It gave us life and hope with only 20 minutes left,” said Curran.

As the energy rose, so did the tension between the teams. Michael Colozzi received a yellow card for a foul he made 66 minutes in. Tempers flared as AJ Parillo of Rider and Explorer junior Mike Lehr were ejected after a scuffle during the game. In the midst of this, Rider’s Tim Jones was also given a yellow card.

After the ejections, play ensued, and the competition stayed fierce. However, there were no more goals scored by either team, and the game ended with a 2-1 score. It was the first game for the men’s soccer team in the newly-renovated McCarthy Stadium, but the Explorers were not able to come back and get the win.

The Explorer men’s soccer team will be back in action on Sunday at 1 p.m., when they will host the George Mason Patriots.

kinga3@lasalle.edu