RIVERDALE, N.Y. (Sept. 27, 2016) – Senior midfielder
Joe Sollod scored on a pair of penalty kicks 70 minutes apart to provide the offense in the Drew men's soccer team's 2-0 victory at New York University on Tuesday evening.
By the Numbers: The Rangers improve to 5-2-2 overall with a 2-1-1 mark on the road, while the Violets drop to 3-3-2 by suffering their first loss at Gaelic Park this season (1-1).
A total of three penalty kicks were called during Tuesday's contest, with NYU's chance getting denied by a diving stop from Drew's sophomore goalkeeper
Stephan Lukianov in the 63
rd minute. Drew's penchant from the penalty spot was a bit of déjà vu from one year ago, when the Rangers defeated the Violets 1-0 in Madison on a PK in the 36
th minute.
Top Performers: Sollod was a perfect 2-for-2 from the spot for his third and fourth goals of the season, which is now tied for the team lead. His speed in the 18-yard box caused the first penalty call after getting tripped up on the attack in the 8
th minute. His first goal fooled the goalkeeper, who dove the wrong way as Sollod tucked it into the left corner for the 1-0 lead.
NYU had the chance to tie in the 63
rd minute with a penalty kick opportunity of its own after a handball in the box. But Lukianov sniffed it out and sprawled to his right to make the save. The PK stop was one of four saves for Lukianov, who earns his third shutout of the season and second straight.
Turning Point: With the Violets still pressing in the second half and outshooting the Rangers 10-6 over the final 45 minutes, Drew received another break. A second foul in the box sent Sollod to the spot again in the 77
th minute, and he delivered with a hard strike to the right side of the net, which beat a diving goalkeeper despite the correct guess.
Other Highlights: Sophomore midfielder
Anthony McMyne continues to dominate the midfield, providing crisp passes and maintaining smart possession. He led the team on Tuesday with three shots, two of which forced saves from the NYU keeper.
Stat Sheet: NYU outshot Drew 17-11 at Gaelic Park, but the Rangers were more accurate with a 6-4 edge in shots on goal, a testament to Drew's shutdown defense. The Violets took more corners than Drew at 4-2, but were more disciplines on the front lines with just one offside call to the Rangers' six.
Next Up: The Rangers return to Madison for the Landmark Conference home opener against Moravian College on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 3:30 p.m. Drew heads into the contest with a 0-0-1 mark early in league play, while the Greyhounds come in at 0-1.
