Hammons
2
Old Westbury OW-MSO (0-1)
3
Winner Stevens STEVENS (2-0)
Old Westbury OW-MSO
(0-1)
2
Final
3
Stevens STEVENS
(2-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Old Westbury OW-MSO 1 1 2
Stevens STEVENS 0 3 3

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Stevens Athletic Communications

Hammons’ Goal Caps Comeback as No. 24 Men’s Soccer Rallies to Edge Old Westbury, 3-2

Junior defender's blast propels Stevens to second straight come-from-behind victory.

HOBOKEN, N.J. (September 1, 2019)  – Junior Matthew Hammons scored in the 86th minute to cap a three-goal comeback as No. 24 Stevens Institute of Technology men's soccer rallied to defeat SUNY Old Westbury 3-2 Sunday at the DeBaun Athletic Complex.

Sophomores Bailey Gano and Adam Silva also found the back of the net for the Ducks, who scored three times over a 29-minute period in the second half to secure their second straight come-from-behind victory. Stevens has won each of its first two matches for the second year in a row.

The Ducks have won five straight matches at the DeBaun Athletic Complex and are 25-6-4 on campus under fourth-year head coach Dale Jordan.

After Silva's corner kick in the 78th minute bent towards the top-left corner of the goal and caromed off the goalkeeper's hands into the net to tie the match at two, overtime seemed like a near-certainty. Junior Stephen Johnson fired off a free kick and Hammons seemingly directly the ball into the goal. Old Westbury netminder James Percibiballi immediately attempted to put the ball back into play, however, he was clearly across the goal line when he did so. The play was whistled dead and a goal was then awarded to Stevens. The officials quickly came together to discuss the play near the sideline and confirmed that the play resulted in a goal for the Ducks. The winning strike was the first of Hammons' career.

Grixon Moreira scored both goals for Old Westbury, who dropped its opener for the second straight season. Stevens has captured each of the last 10 meetings between the programs in what used to be an annual series when Stevens was a member of the Skyline Conference. Series data prior to 1999 is unavailable. 

The home team found itself on the wrong side of a 1-nil score at the intermission. Moreira was awarded a free kick with just over 30 seconds remaining in the opening half. Old Westbury's senior midfielder fired a strike towards the goal, but the ball deflected off the wall and changed directions, ultimately fluttering into the net.

Moreira's second tally of the afternoon was of the more traditional variety. Jonathan Hernandez played a ball left-to-right across the 18-yard box in the 55th minute. Moreira received the pass and quickly fired a crossing shot towards the top corner of the net. Junior netminder Aedan Boriotti was able to reach the try with his fingertips, but was unable to prevent it from going into the net.

Boriotti started in net for the second straight match and earned his second victory. Percibiballi made five saves in defeat for the Panthers, including a pair of consecutive saves on tries by junior Cristiano Hocken in the 26th minute.

Inside the Numbers
  • Stevens outshot Old Westbury, 25-5, including an 8-2 margin in shots on net.
  • The Ducks held a 5-1 advantage in corners, including a 3-1 edge in the second half.
  • Moreira led Old Westbury with two shots. Ten different players had at least one attempt for Stevens. Hocken paced the Ducks with eight. 
  • Two of Stevens' three goals came from reserves.
  • Freshman Emerson Kuzemka played 17 minutes in his collegiate debut.
  • Stevens has played to a 3-2 result in each of its first two matches.

Unsung Hero
  • Gano was credited with the goal, but the play was set up by a nifty back-heel pass by sophomore Gianni Falvo, who had entered the match just 62 seconds prior. The goal energized both the bench and the DeBaun faithful. The Bernardsville, New Jersey native has assists in both matches this season and has doubled his point total from one season ago.

From the Sidelines (Head Coach Dale Jordan)
  • "Another thriller at DeBaun! We didn't do a good enough job of converting the chances we created. Old Westbury did a great job at counter-attacking, which caused us some problems."
  • "On to next weekend, where we welcome top Division III programs, Vassar and Springfield."

Up Next
  • No. 24 Stevens welcomes Vassar College to the DeBaun Athletic Complex Saturday evening for the second of four straight home fixtures.
  • The Ducks lead the all-time series 14-3-2 and have won each of the last 10 meetings, including each of the last six in Hoboken.
  • Stevens last opened the schedule with three straight wins in 2013. 
  • A link for live stats is available on StevensDucks.com

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