GALLOWAY, N.J. – Junior
Ignacio Martinez continued his early-season scoring spree, netting a pair of goals to power the Drew University men's soccer team to a 3-1 win at Stockton University in a non-conference tilt Sunday afternoon.
The Rangers (3-1) showed little signs of rust despite a 10-day layoff from competition. The team's last two games were postponed and the squad was playing for the first time since its 2-1 victory at Western Connecticut University on Sept. 3.
Martinez netted the team's first and last goals of the game to up his team- and Landmark Conference-leading total to four. He has scored in each of the three matches he has played.
Senior
Jared Brown scored what held up as the game-winning goal when he drilled in a penalty kick in the 46th minute to break a 1-1 tie.
Both teams attempted 12 shots for the game; however, Drew played a man up over the final 51 minutes following a Stockton red card late in the first half.
Junior
Donovan Friedhoff made five saves in goal for the Rangers while Brady Barletta also stopped five shots for Stockton (4-2), which entered the game with a No. 3 regional ranking.
Drew struck early, when Martinez headed in a cross from senior
James Cahill in the fourth minute. The Ospreys pulled even on a penalty kick in the 34th minute and it was a 1-1 game at the break.
Both teams attempted four shots in the first half, when Barletta made two saves and Friedhoff stopped on shot.
The Rangers found themselves on a breakaway in the opening minute of the second half, and junior
Kevin Martinez was tackled inside the box. Brown followed up with his first career PK goal and his third career game-winner.
Ignacio Martinez provided the finishing touches in the 75th minute. Sophomore
Turkcan Curak bounced a corner kick to Martinez, who tapped it into an open net on the right post for his first career multi-goal performance.
Each side fired off eight second-half shots, but Friedhoff denied the Ospreys on all four of their shots on goal in the period.
The Rangers continue their season on Wednesday, when they visit William Paterson University at 7 p.m. in another non-conference outing.
