Box Score

Garden City, N.Y. – Earlier tonight, the men's soccer team closed out their season against the Highlanders of the New Jersey Institute of Technology on senior night. An early goal by NJIT's Enrique Hildago gave the visitors a lead they would hold throughout the duration of the first half. However, the Panthers hit back early in the second to tie the game and force overtime. It took 106 minutes until senior Brandon Stoneham broke the silence to give the Panthers a 2-1 victory. The Brown and Gold end their 2012 season with a 3-13 record, while NJIT drops to 9-9 with one game remaining on their schedule.
 
The Highlanders struck first early in the contest. The Newark, NJ based team took a 1-0 lead in the 13^th minute as Hildago picked up a deflected loose ball pass from five yards out in the center of the box and fired it past Adelphi keeper, Ahmad Salamah.
 
Adelphi managed to keep the game close with some help from the crossbar, as shots by Franco Gamero and Falk Siegel in the 31^st and 36^th minutes rebounded off the bar and away from the Panther net. However, the Panthers' offense could do little damage as they managed only one shot in the opening half which was taken by senior James Diana in the fifth minute.
 
The Panthers came out and showed much more aggression early in the second half, and their persistence paid off. In the 55^th minute, Omar Edwards took a breakaway from the right side and ripped a shot from 15 yards out to beat NJIT keeper Lars Maalen-Johansen to knot the action at 1-1.
 
Both teams had numerous opportunities to break the tie within regulation. Defensively, Salamah made three diving saves for the Panthers to keep the visitors off the board in the second while on the other end of the field, a lunging header by Edwards missed wide left in the 77^th minute. Lastly, a ripped shot by Henderson Hewes was met by a diving Maalen-Johansen in the 80^th.
 
Each squad held equal possession for the first period of overtime and neither side could get a shot on goal. The visitors had the first golden opportunity in the second overtime period and took three successive shots; two were saved and the third bounced off the crossbar and away from the goal. The Highlanders would regret their missed opportunities as Stoneham made a move down the left side in the 106^th minute and hooked in the game-winner from 25 yards out for the win.
 
Overall, the Panthers were outshot 21-7, trailed six to three in shots on goal and 13 to three in corner opportunities. Salamah made five saves in the win while his counterpart made one.
 
This marks the end of the 2012 season for the Panthers as they start with a clean slate come next August.
 
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