Pinho
Mike McLaughlin
1
TCNJ TCNJ (2-5-1)
5
Winner Stevens STEVENS (4-2-1)
TCNJ TCNJ
(2-5-1)
1
Final
5
Stevens STEVENS
(4-2-1)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
TCNJ TCNJ 0 1 1
Stevens STEVENS 3 2 5

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

First-Half Fireworks Lead Men’s Soccer Over TCNJ 5-1

Five different student-athletes find the back of the net as the Ducks return to the win column

HOBOKEN, N.J. (September 22, 2021)  – On a night where the Stevens Institute of Technology celebrated the official illumination of the Stevens sign on the new University Center Complex with a fireworks display over the Hudson River, there were plenty of fireworks on display inside the cozy confines of the DeBaun Athletic Complex.

Five different student-athletes found the back of the net as the Stevens Institute of Technology men's soccer team defeated The College of New Jersey 5-1 Wednesday night in a non-conference match. The five-goal output is the most for the program since Nov. 3, 2018, when the Ducks defeated St. John Fisher College 5-0 in the Empire 8 Conference semifinals.

The victory pushed Stevens' record to 4-2-1, while TCNJ fell to 2-5-1. The Ducks have alternated wins and losses over their last five matches. Stevens improved to 13-3-3 against TCNJ since the 2002 season and have now won seven straight meetings between the teams in Hoboken.

Senior Matthew Pinho began the offensive barrage in the 19th minute. Pinho attempted to play a crossing ball to a teammate, but the play was well defended and broken up by TCNJ. However, the Colonia, New Jersey native responded to the broken play by retrieving the loose ball and sending it into the left corner of the net for his first goal of the season. Pinho's tally was his first since scoring in the 50th minute of the Ducks' season-opening victory over Mitchell College in 2019.

Fellow backliner, and classmate, Gianni Falvo pushed the Ducks' lead to two in the 29th minute, pouncing on a rebound, to net the first goal of his career. First-year Zachary Orrico fired the initial shot, which was saved by TCNJ's Julian Franco. The ball fell to Falvo, who calmly and neatly tucked the ball into the goal to double the Ducks' advantage.

Stevens scored for the third time in the half in the 39th minute. Senior Sean Masur played a picture-perfect through ball to first-year Emerico Vespucci inside the 18. Vespucci sent a crossing shot into the right side of the net for his team-leading third tally of the year. The three goals in the opening 45 minutes were the most since the Ducks netted three in the first half against Wilkes University on Oct. 12, 2019.

Staked to a 3-0 lead, graduate student Aris Costeas only had to make one save to secure the victory in his home debut. The Nicosia, Cyprus native played 45 minutes between the pipes to earn his second career victory. Junior Justin Cross relieved Costeas at halftime and played 45 minutes to make his collegiate debut. Franco made eight saves in defeat for TCNJ.

The Ducks wasted little time resuming their offensive ways once play resumed after halftime. Just 21 seconds into the second stanza, first-year Adam Berrocal converted another picturesque pass, this one from graduate student Cristiano Hocken, for his first career goal. Once the teams settled into the second half, the Illumination Ceremony's fireworks display over the Hudson brought a smoky haze over the DeBaun pitch and once the haze had lifted, Orrico buried a nifty feed from junior Sean Ryan in the 77th minute for his first career goal. Orrico finished with a goal and an assist for his first career multi-point outing.

Inside the Numbers
  • Stevens outshot TCNJ 27-5, including a 16-2 margin in the first half. Hocken fired off five shots to lead both sides. 
  • Nearly half (13) of the Ducks' 27 shots were on target, while TCNJ only registered two shots on-goal.
  • The Ducks earned 10 corner kicks against just three for the Lions. The 10 corners were the most for the program since earning 11 against The Sage Colleges on Oct. 13, 2018.
  • Berrocal drew his first collegiate start.
  • Senior Mason Boenning and junior Gareth Maritz made their season debuts, while senior Brian Pacceli made his Stevens debut. 
  • First-year Evan Quon played 14 minutes in the second half for his collegiate debut.
  • Ryan finished with a career-high two assists. 

From the Sidelines - Head Coach Dale Jordan
  • "Good performance overall and I am delighted at the contributions from the first-years. We responded well after the disappointment of last Saturday's result. We must now prepare for a very strong Stevenson team."

Up Next
  • Men's Soccer closes out its longest homestand of the season on Saturday, Sept. 25 against Stevenson University.
  • The teams played to a 1-1 draw in Maryland on Sept. 21, 2019 in the only meeting between the programs.
  • Links for live stats and video are available on StevensDucks.com.

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