Stony Brook traveled to one of the most elite academic institutions in the nation and found themselves crushed offensively at the hands of Yale in a 2-0 loss on Saturday, Sept. 21. The Bulldogs outshot the visiting Seawolves 18-6 during the match, leaving Stony Brook fortunate to lose by two goals.
Freshman goalkeeper Edmond Kaiser had a good performance considering the offensive pressure Yale put on throughout the match. Kaiser withstood 18 total Yale shots and eight shots on goal that culminated in six saves and two goals allowed, one with only a minute remaining in the game by Yale senior midfielder Miguel Yuste. The Bulldogs withstood only three shots on goal from Stony Brook, all of which were saved.
As a freshman, Kaiser has consistently been forced into hard positions to make saves. He is Stony Brook’s best option, however, with a 71% save percentage in 450 minutes compared to sophomore goalkeeper Yamil Montenegro’s 68% in only 200 minutes.
“We were not sharp enough at the start of the game and Yale did a good job of making it difficult to play,” head coach Ryan Anatol said in a press release. “But the guys battled well and stayed in the game. We had a really good spell during the second half and came close to getting the equalizer. Hopefully we take the positives from the game and build off of them.”
This matchup resumed Stony Brook’s offensive struggles with their third shutout loss of the season, after they had just four throughout the entire 2018 season. The Seawolves have been firing on all cylinders on offense as of late, with four goals in their past two games, but the Bulldogs were strong enough to mute their attack. Currently ranked last in the America East in goals per game with 1.125, Stony Brook has not scored more than two goals in a game this season. The Seawolves’ toothless offense is highlighted in their goal difference of negative six, with 15 total goals allowed to nine scored all season. In order for the Seawolves to return to their winning ways, they will have to play better across the board to make their now-broken two-game winning streak more than just an anomaly.
Now at 2-4-1 on the season, men’s soccer resumes play versus the Rider Broncos at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 7 p.m.
