With just 51 seconds remaining in its first conference match of the season, the Stony Brook men’s soccer team capitalized on a set-piece opportunity — an area from which it had struggled earlier in the game — to earn a point.
On a rainy Saturday evening in New Jersey, the Seawolves (1-2-2, 0-0-1 CAA) kicked off their Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) campaign by taking on the Monmouth Hawks (2-0-2, 0-0-1 CAA), the 2023 CAA Championship runners-up. After a pair of goals from Monmouth midfielder Erik Reis, Stony Brook responded with two scores in the final 15 minutes in a 2-2 tie.
In the 90th minute, midfielder Trevor Harrison launched a throw-in from the right wing to Moses Bakabulindi. Similarly to many players before him on a rain-soaked Hesse Field, Bakabulindi struggled to anticipate the ball’s bounce. However, as the 5-foot-11 Monmouth defender Ian Brunet attempted to shield the ball from Bakabulindi, the Seawolves’ crafty, 5-foot-4 playmaker evaded Brunet, got the edge on him and drew a foul at the box’s doorstep.
Midfielder Lorenzo Selini stepped up to take the free kick and hoped to reverse Stony Brook’s fortune on previous dead-ball chances. Before Bakabulindi was fouled, the Seawolves had received six corners and were fouled 20 times. However, they had not significantly challenged Monmouth goalkeeper Eryk Dymora on any of those opportunities.
In what was likely the team’s last breath, Selini delivered a low-driven ball that was met by defender Sean Towey at the near post. Towey’s backheel attempt redirected the ball toward the goal and, after a slight deflection from Monmouth defender Olle Brorsson, it rattled the net for the centre-back’s first collegiate strike.
Before Towey’s decisive play, it was midfielder Bruno Penney that gave Stony Brook a lifeline. In the 75th minute, Penney cleanly tackled Monmouth midfielder Carl Valgma just outside the Hawks’ box. The ball fell to midfielder Alex Fléury, who shifted it to his right to find Harrison. Now inside the box, Harrison delivered a cross to the center, where Penney controlled the ball with two touches before unleashing a powerful shot into the top of the net, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
Penney and Towey’s late heroics countered Reis’ earlier contributions. Reis — who has been in impressive form this year with four goals and one assist — netted a pair earlier in the match.
His first goal of the day came in the 11th minute. With space inside the Seawolves’ box, Reis faced a leg save by goalkeeper Rushon Sandy on his initial attempt. However, he pounced on the rebound, took three touches to his left and fired a shot into the top left corner to open the scoring.
While Reis’ opener was well-taken, his second was a bonafide highlight. Between starting a run from his defensive half and celebrating with his teammates, Reis maneuvered past three Stony Brook players and beat Sandy with the help of a deflection from Towey.
“I’m really proud of the way the team stuck together and fought until the final whistle,” head coach Ryan Anatol said in a postgame interview with Stony Brook Athletics. “We went down tonight, but never gave up, kept creating chances and showed great resilience. The guys were rewarded for their hard work with two second-half goals, including a well-deserved equalizer in the final minute. Even after giving up a goal against the run of play, we stayed focused and were the better team in the second half. It’s a performance to build on, and I’m happy with the way we responded.”
The Seawolves were outshot 18 (eight shots on goal) to 13 (seven shots on goal).
Sandy made six saves for a second straight outing. Conversely, Dymora finished with five stops.
Stony Brook will play its second of four consecutive conference matches on Saturday. It hosts the Charleston Cougars at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium. Charleston is 4-0 in 2024 and will face Charlotte’s Queens on Tuesday before making its CAA debut against the Seawolves. Opening kickoff for the latter is scheduled for 1 p.m.
