After allowing two goals in under half a minute, the Stony Brook men’s soccer team remains winless in nonconference games.
After crushing Elon last Saturday, the Seawolves (1-3, 1-0 CAA) took on the George Washington Revolutionaries (2-0-2, 0-0 A-10) in the nation’s capital on Tuesday. Sweating through the record-breaking heat, Stony Brook suffered a 3-1 defeat to the Revolutionaries.
Right out of the gate, George Washington’s high line suffocated the Seawolves. The Revolutionaries dominated control of the ball and eventually drew first blood in the 22nd minute. George Washington defender William Turner won the ball back in Stony Brook’s third and carried it to the penalty box, where he found forward Nacho Alastuey darting past the Seawolves’ back line. Alastuey slipped his shot past goalkeeper Edmond Kaiser and into the back of the net to start the scoring.
Just 27 seconds later, Turner continued to haunt Stony Brook. After beating two defenders, Turner squeezed a shot through Kaiser’s legs, putting the Revolutionaries up 2-0.
During the 38th minute, forward Moses Bakabulindi hooked a corner kick that found forward Olsen Aluc’s head. Aluc buried his towering header to cut the Seawolves’ deficit in half. George Washington’s defense held onto the lead for the rest of the half, taking a 2-1 advantage into intermission.
In the 59th minute, the Revolutionaries put the match to bed. A corner off the foot of George Washington midfielder Conor Stephens found defender Colin Prendergast in the box. Prendergast’s header buried the cross to tack on the finishing touches.
Stony Brook’s offense had a rough day, ending the game with just eight shots and only landing two on target. On the other side of the pitch, the Revolutionaries took 15 shots and totaled seven shots on goal.
Aluc’s hot start to the season continued, as he has now scored a goal in three consecutive matches. He is the first Seawolf to score in at least three straight games since former forward Jarred Dass back in 2018. Bakabulindi has now contributed to a goal in three matches in a row after recording his second assist of the season on Tuesday.
Midfielder Kyle Smith was the only other Stony Brook player to record a shot on goal.
In net, Kaiser faced seven shots but was only able to stop four of them.
It was Turner who made the biggest difference for George Washington. He facilitated the game from the defensive midfield position, winning several balls on defense while also creating opportunities for his teammates on offense. He finished with both a goal and an assist while leading his team with three shots taken and two on goal.
Head coach Ryan Anatol did not speak to the media after the match.
The Seawolves will stay on the road for their second Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) match of the season, as they will travel down the highway to take on the Hofstra Pride on Saturday. The Pride are 3-1 in 2023 and are coming off a 1-0 victory over the University of Pennsylvania on Monday. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.