Scoring two goals in one game is enough to get any St. Bonaventure soccer player excited.
Especially for sophomore midfielder Kieran Toland, who netted both goals for the Bonnies in a thrilling overtime win Friday night.
But the men’s soccer team failed to end its initial home stand undefeated, losing to Hartwick 1-0 Monday night. The loss drops the Bonnies to 1-1 on the season.
Toland failed to score after netting two goals in the season-opening 2-1 win, and the Bonnies struggled to create offensive chances. They managed only two shots on net, both of which came in the first half.
According to goaltender Bobby Diaz, a fifth-year senior, the team’s lack of offense resulted from strong possessions by Hartwick. In addition, Diaz credited the Hawks’ defensive pressure with keeping the Bonnies out of the attacking zone.
“From the opening whistle, Hartwick looked to keep possession of the ball and really tried to play their way through us,” Diaz said. “When a team does this, it most likely means that they will have the majority of the possession throughout the game, allowing us less time on the ball.”
Despite the loss, Diaz and his coach see several reasons for the team to be optimistic after its first two games. Noting the importance of hard work, both expect quality performances each night on the pitch and have been pleased with the team’s effort so far.
“There have been three main players in my eyes who have stepped up to the plate in the first two games of the season,” Diaz said. “Kieran, Matt [Lane] and Remi [Dujardin]. Kieran was obviously the reason why we were able to claim our opening game of the season against NJIT. Matt and Remi are both first year players, Remi being a freshman, who have held up with the competition. Matt is one of our enforcers in the backline who has a no-nonsense attitude while Remi has been a great addition to our midfield.”
The team’s coach agreed.
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how they’ve [Dujardin and Lane] done so far, and I hope that the rest of the new guys can adapt to the pace of the game at this level,” Coach Kwame Oduro said.
This weekend, the team travels to Brooklyn to compete in the Brooklyn Bridge Cup. The team believes that a few adjustments will lead to success in the Big Apple. According to Toland, composure will be a catalyst for success.
“We panicked on the ball too much,” Toland said. “When the ball came to us, we did not know what to do with it, so we would just end up giving it away through loose passes or losing it through bad touches. If we start to keep the ball more, then chances will come for us, and we will be able to beat teams.”
Oduro agreed with his midfielder, adding that the team must not let chances to score slip away.
“Monday, we were a little addled in front of the goal,” Oduro said. “And in the game of soccer, if you’re in front of the goal and you’re not composed, you’re more likely to miss the net or miss a chance.”
The Bonnies will look to bounce back this Friday at 6:30 p.m. in Brooklyn.
