Men's Soccer Defeats #1 Berkeley-NY Knights

Dix Hills, NY - The Five Towns College men's soccer team defeated #1 Berkeley-NY Knights 4-3 in a conference game Wednesday evening. Berkeley (10-6-1) came into the game as the #1 team in the HVIAC and #1 in the USCAA Coaches Poll. The Knights were undefeated in the HVIAC and have not allowed a goal to a conference opponent.

Both teams came out with high intensity for a game that would see the score tied three times and four lead changes. Berkeley took the lead first in the 5th minute. A Five Towns foul gave the Knights a set-piece from 40 yards out. Goalkeeper Mouhamed Diop Dia misplayed the ball and Meshema Charles capitalized to find the back of the net. 

Anthony Molina tied the score for the Sound in the 15th minute with his third goal of the season. Molina drew a foul that placed the ball 15 yards out on the left sideline. Adrian Santos stepped up to take the kick and placed the ball over the goalie near the back post, which Molina played off his chest into the net.

Five Towns would take the team's first lead in the 37th minute. Robinson Munoz stole the ball from a defender inside the 18-yard box and gave a quick pass to a sliding Adrian Santos who knocked it past the goalkeeper for his 11th goal of the season. Berkeley tied the game in the 42nd minute to go into halftime 2-2.

The Knights retook the lead only two minutes into the second half on a goal from Jonathan Russell, before Five Towns answered back in the 50th minute. William Rivera scored his 13th goal of the season, off a cross from the left side from Anthony Molina. The ball took two bounces before Rivera finished off a one-touch shot to tie the score 3-3.

In a fitting manner, the team's leading scorer Adrian Wong scored his 18th goal of the season and the game-winning goal in the 55th minute of play, from Robinson Munoz's second assist of the day. Wong fired a shot from the top of the 18-yard box past the diving keeper for a 4-3 lead that would hold for the remainder of the game. Munoz finishes the season as the team's leader in assists with 11.

Five Towns goalkeeper Mouhamed Diop Dia had eight saves in the match for his biggest win of the season. The defensive line consisting of Junior Del Rosario, Toshinori Takahashi, Andy Alfonso, and Bassm Ismail displayed a tremendous effort in keeping the ball out of Berkeley's attacking zone.

The fate of the season will await a bid to the USCAA national tournament. The bid selection show will be on Wednesday, October 30th (time TBD) and can be watched live at www.theuscaa.com.

Follow Five Towns College Sound Athletics on Instagram and Twitter @FiveTowns_Sound