The Stony Brook men’s soccer team’s rough start to its conference campaign continued with a second straight defeat.
For a second consecutive outing, the Seawolves (1-4-2, 0-2-1 CAA) matched up against an undefeated foe when they challenged the Elon Phoenix (7-0-1, 3-0 CAA) on Saturday in North Carolina. With a 2-1 loss, Stony Brook earned just a single point through three weeks of Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play.
The Seawolves got off to a nightmarish start as they hoped to avenge last year’s 2023 CAA Championship defeat to the Phoenix. In the seventh minute, midfielder Trevor Harrison brought down Elon midfielder Ryan Manna in the box, resulting in a penalty. Midfielder Scott Vatne stepped up to take the kick and sent goalkeeper Rushon Sandy the other way to give his team the early advantage.
The Phoenix controlled possession before and after their opener. In the 18th minute, they were rewarded for their efforts again. On a corner kick from the right side, Stony Brook failed to mark a pair of Elon players who roamed free in the near post. Vatne capitalized as the corner’s taker, delivering a precise ball that found one of the threats — defender Charlie Kitch — who powered a header past Sandy to make it 2-0.
After falling behind by two goals, the Seawolves began to find their rhythm. The final 27 minutes of the first half saw a more balanced contest, with Stony Brook creating the best scoring chance. In the 21st minute, forward Caleb Danquah unleashed a curling shot that was destined for the top left corner if not for a diving save by Elon goalkeeper Tomasz Wroblewski. The Seawolves also did not convert from the ensuing corner kick.
Stony Brook intensified its pressure early in the second period, as it attempted four shots in three minutes starting in the 56th minute. Wroblewski was called into action again for one of the attempts, as he made a difficult stop from a strike by midfielder Kyle Smith in the 59th minute.
After midfielder Moses Bakabulindi struck the crossbar 13 minutes later, defender Sean Towey had enough of the wasted opportunities and took matters into his own hands — making a play reminiscent of his early collegiate days as a forward.
Also in the 72nd minute, Towey played a one-two with Bakabulindi on the right flank. After receiving the return pass just past the halfway line, he sprinted unchallenged toward the edge of the goal area and slid a shot past Wroblewski to finally put the Seawolves on the board.
Stony Brook aimed to replicate its miraculous comeback against Monmouth from two weeks earlier, but Elon effectively stifled it to secure the victory.
“We fought hard today and showed a lot of quality,” head coach Ryan Anatol said in a postgame interview with Stony Brook Athletics. “But, once again, a couple of moments let us down and prevented a good performance from turning into a positive result. I am especially proud of the guys who came off the bench today and really stepped up and made a huge impact. We will work hard to get better and be ready for the next game.”
The Seawolves outshot the Phoenix 13 (four shots on goal) to eight (five shots on goal).
Sandy and Wroblewski made three saves apiece.
Stony Brook will look to pick up its first conference win of 2024 against the Northeastern Huskies on Friday at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium. The Huskies are 1-4-3 overall and 0-3 against CAA opponents this season. They will play the University of Massachusetts Lowell on Tuesday before the Seawolves contest. Opening kickoff for Friday’s match is scheduled for 3 p.m.
