Holding onto a thin lead, the Stony Brook men’s soccer team outlasted the Bryant Bulldogs 1-0 at Bulldog Soccer Field in Smithfield, Rhode Island on Saturday. The team continued their hot streak, winning or tying their last five matches.

The decisive play came in the 44th minute, as junior midfielder Serge Gamwanya scored a goal on a penalty kick to give his team a 1-0 lead. Stony Brook received the penalty kick on a handball call while play was inside Bryant’s box. The goal was Gamwanya’s first of the season, improving Stony Brook’s overall record to 5-1-1.

Prior to the penalty, the Seawolves faced a tough task generating opportunities despite spending a majority of the first half inside Bryant territory. Graduate forward Robin Bjornholm-Jatta had several chances within the first eight minutes, but was  unable to convert. The other first-half shot attempt by Stony Brook was graduate defender Eric McKenna.

While Bryant did not produce the pressure that Stony Brook did, the team did manage to remain competitive. Bulldogs freshman forward Jared Lee received the ball in the 28th minute off a Seawolves turnover and placed a shot that hit off the left post. In the 51st minute, Bryant senior defender John Conry found room to shoot, but his shot ricocheted off the crossbar. Bryant attempted 10 other shots but none came close. The team continues to search for its first goal of the season

While Stony Brook managed to pull out the victory, the team did not come out unharmed. Redshirt-senior goalkeeper Tom McMahon went down in the opening of the second half and was helped off the field by the training staff. The team did not disclose what type of injury McMahon had suffered. Sophomore goalkeeper Jacob Braham subbed in for McMahon and helped keep the shutout intact.

In the last 20 minutes, Stony Brook changed its strategy from aggressive pushing to a conservative, slower-paced game to help minimize Bryant’s chances of scoring. This made Bryant find a groove late in the game, testing Braham with a few shots, but the goalie was unfazed by the last-ditch effort.

Stony Brook will head to Washington D.C. for a match against the Georgetown Hoyas on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. at Shaw Field. The game will be the first time Stony Brook has played Georgetown in men’s
soccer before.