Despite a significant disadvantage in chances created, the Stony Brook men’s soccer team fought tenaciously to secure its first draw of the season.
Aiming for their first win of the year, the Seawolves (0-1-1) faced off against the St. John’s Red Storm (0-1-1) on Sunday evening in Queens, N.Y. Although it only took two shots on target, Stony Brook did enough to earn a 1-1 tie.
From the left and right wing, respectively, St. John’s forwards Macoumba Ba and Miguel Diaz caused the Seawolves’ backline problems all night.
In the seventh minute, Diaz collected the ball just past the halfway line. Confronted by midfielder Lorenzo Selini, he executed an inside-outside dribble to outpace Stony Brook’s left-back. After creating separation, Diaz surged toward the endline and, from a tight angle, challenged goalkeeper Rushon Sandy. Expecting a cross, Sandy was beaten to his near post for the Red Storm’s first tally of 2024.
After being beaten on the match’s first goal, Selini redeemed himself on the opposite end of the field. In the 14th minute, he seized the ball near the box after a blocked shot and, with three St. John’s defenders closing in, threaded a precise pass to forward Jonas Bičkus. With just enough room to take a shot, Bičkus found the back of the net with the help of a deflection by St. John’s defender Thomas Lamaille.
In a contested first half, both sides had opportunities to go out in front after the early flurry. First — in the 35th minute — Trevor Harrison skied a close-range shot after receiving a through ball by midfielder Moses Bakabulindi. Four minutes later, a tackle by Lamaille unexpectedly turned into a pass for St. John’s forward Mateusz Marciniak, who was primed for a one-on-one chance. After initially retreating, Sandy sprinted towards the ball and executed a crucial slide tackle to avert the danger.
In contrast to the opening period, the second half was more one-sided. The Red Storm controlled possession and created more scoring opportunities. However, it was the Seawolves who came closest to stealing the victory.
Fresh off the bench, midfielder Justin Jean-Louis maneuvered past St. John’s midfielder Eric Danquah and advanced towards the goal in the 72nd minute. With a pass across his body, he fed forward Finlay Oliver, who dummied the ball, leading to a near-post attempt by Bičkus that a sprawling St. John’s goalkeeper Alec McLachlan kept out.
Despite the Red Storm managing four shot attempts in the final 16 minutes, none of them posed a significant threat and the game concluded in a stalemate.
“I’m proud of our team’s performance,” head coach Ryan Anatol said in a postgame interview with Stony Brook Athletics. “They are a tough opponent with very dangerous attacking players, and I thought we were defensively solid and resolute throughout the game. We put ourselves in a strong position late in the match and created some good chances, but unfortunately we couldn’t come up with the winner. Overall, I loved the response from our game on Thursday, and I’m pleased with the improvements we’ve made. I look forward to continuing to make steps forward.”
Stony Brook was outshot 16 (five shots on goal) to nine (two shots on goal).
Sandy made four saves. His counterpart — McLachlan — finished with just the one save.
The Seawolves’ next affair is their home opener on Thursday. They will host the Rider Broncs — who are 0-1 and will play Lehigh on Monday before Stony Brook — at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 6:31 p.m.
