Men’s Soccer Still Undefeated

Cecilie Nag

After four games over the last two weeks, the third-ranked men’s soccer team is still undefeated with a record of 12-0-1. The team won three games during the stretch and tied 2-2 against NYIT on October 12th.

The first game against Millersville University on October 5th, ended 2-1 in favor of C.W. Post, making it 10 straight wins for the Pioneers. The two forwards, freshman Eivind Austboe and sophomore Cemil Turan, each scored one goal, securing the victory.

The next matchup for the Pioneers, their third East Coast Conference game of the season, was on October 8th, against 17th-ranked Saint Thomas Aquinas University. The Pioneers went out with an offensive tactic by playing physically with the Spartans, who put up a good defense and fought back with their offensive line. In the 83rd minute, the Pioneers got on the scoreboard after Turan put the ball in the net with a shot in the upper right corner, giving the Pioneers a 1-0 advantage. The Pioneers secured their lead in the last seven minutes, improving their record with yet another win.

Following their two wins, the third-ranked Pioneers were ready to take on their next challenge, but their winning streak was put to an end after facing NYIT on October 12th. In the fourth Conference game of the season, NYIT shocked the Pioneers with a 1-0 lead into the second half. With team effort from graduate student and midfielder Kieran Mercer and sophomore captain Eirik Bjornoe, Turan was served with a pass and scored with a header, evening out the score at one goal apiece.

With a quick response, NYIT scored its second goal only one minute after the Pioneers did, regaining the lead. Junior forward Andreas Olsen responded on the Pioneers behalf, putting a rebound after a shot from Turan into the net, tying the score at two. The final score would remain 2-2, making it the first draw of the season.

Saturday, October 12th, the Pioneers were eager to get back from the draw against NYIT, facing Mercy College in another East Conference battle. The Pioneers started this game off extremely well, as six minutes into the game, Olsen received the ball from sophomore midfielder Jonathon Watkin,and scored his fourth goal of the season, giving C.W. Post a 1-0 lead.

The Pioneers continued their pressure in the first half, putting shots on goal; however, they did not find the back of the net again. The Pioneers had a difficult time scoring and putting good possessions together.  They lacked drive and motivation to score goals and to make good plays, disappointing the spectators who showed up to see the match. Closest to adjusting the lead was Austboe, with a shot hitting the crossbar at the end of the second half.  Still, the Pioneers could celebrate another win, making their record 4-0-1 in the ECC and 12-0-1 overall.

“The quality in our play has fallen in the last couple of matches,” Olsen says, partly blaming the quality of the field. He prefers playing on artificial turf, like the team did in the 5-1 win against Dowling on October 1st. “We’re winning because we have lots of talent within our team not because we are playing well,” mentioned Olsen. “We will get back to the same quality of play that we had at the beginning of the season.”

The Pioneers next game is away against Nyack University on October 18th, followed by another East Conference game away against Queens University on October 22nd.