The ball soared off junior midfielder Gabriel Fernandes’ foot, over the net and just out of reach for a Stony Brook team in need of a last minute equalizer.
The Stony Brook Men’s Soccer season opener on Friday, Aug. 24 came down to the wire, but the team fell just short in a 3-2 loss to George Washington on the road.
The Seawolves held a slim 1-0 lead entering the second half but quickly fell behind in tempo and on the scoreboard. Colonials sophomore midfielder Oscar Haynes Brown propelled the team offensively, scoring a hat trick with goals in the 56th, 72nd and 76th minutes. Sophomore defender Joshua Yurasits led the game with two assists on the last two Haynes Brown goals.
Stony Brook desperately needed a late push for a chance to win. Junior striker Jarred Dass laced a goal in the 88th minute off a pass from senior midfielder Martieon Watson to close the gap to one goal. Stony Brook managed to get an opportunity to tie with Fernandes’ chance in the 90th minute, but couldn’t land the shot.
“Tonight was a tale of two halves,” head coach Ryan Anatol said in a press release. “The first 45 minutes we dominated play and deserved to lead the game. We were not able to sustain it in the second half, and credit to George Washington for taking advantage of their opportunities.”
The Seawolves pulled ahead in a sloppy start for both teams. There were a combined 15 fouls in the first half and an offsides call against Stony Brook that broke up momentum and kept both sides limited on the attack. Though the Seawolves only managed to take two shots on goal in the half, they made them count. Fernandes capitalized on the Seawolves’ first attempt, punching the ball through for the lone score in the half.
These trends reversed in the second half as the teams kicked into gear. Fouls dropped to nine in the second half, although Stony Brook ran into yellow card trouble late in the game. Graduate defender Arni Jakobsson picked up his first yellow in the 67th minute, and Dass followed him with a yellow a minute later. The team was also assessed a yellow in the 75th minute.
Stony Brook will look to rebound quickly in their home opener on Monday, Aug. 27 against St. Francis Brooklyn at 7 p.m. The match against the Terriers begins a three-game homestand for the Seawolves.
