POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The Union College men's soccer team saw its second-half comeback attempt fall just short as the Garnet Chargers dropped a 2-1 Liberty League matchup to Vassar College on Wednesday afternoon at Gordon Field.
Sophomore
Luca Mazzilli scored his first collegiate goal in the second half for Union (8-6-1, 2-3-0 Liberty League), which fell behind by two goals to Vassar (4-5-3, 2-1-2 Liberty League) and could not complete the comeback in the final 15 minutes.
The Garnet Chargers managed the only two on-target shots of the opening half, with sophomores
Gavin Blake and
Arturo Pena Fulcar testing Vassar keeper Jacob Raphan. The defensive unit limited the Brewers to four off-target attempts over the first 19 minutes and just one wayward shot over the next 25 to head into halftime scoreless.
Junior
Dmitri Wild-Arons made his first save of the game in the 52nd minute at the end of a string of attempts for the home team. Vassar got on the board less than five minutes later when Mauricio Mejia put home a cross from the penalty spot area in the 57th minute. The Brewer lead doubled 13 minutes later on a goal from Alejandro Martinez.
The visitors got one back in the 78th minute on Mazzilli's first collegiate goal. The sophomore took a deflected pass from first-year
Dillan Akinc and lofted it from nearly an impossible angle along the far endline over the goalie and into the far corner of the net.
Union looked to have a golden chance to tie the game two minutes later when a Garnet Charger was taken down right at the edge of the box, but the referee gave a free kick instead of a penalty kick and the chance was thwarted by the Brewers. That chance was Union's last attempt on goal for the afternoon, as the visitors could not solve the Vassar defense again.
Vassar finished the afternoon with a 15-11 edge in shots, although Union led in shots on goal by a 7-5 margin. Wild-Arons made two saves while Raphan turned aside six shots at the other end.
Union will return to action on Saturday with a key conference clash at Ithaca College beginning at 2 p.m.
