Madison, N.J. – The Stevens Institute of Technology men's soccer team rallied from a pair of one-goal deficits for a critical 3-2 win over FDU-Florham Wednesday night in a Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom affair.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Down 1-0 less than two minutes in, Stevens (5-2-6, 2-0-2 MACF) spent the rest of the first half pursuing a tying goal as five shots in an 18-minute span between the 18
th and 36
th were turned aside by FDU's Victor Ciach. Finally, in the closing seconds of the half,
Thomas Smith played a ball from just beyond goal line extended left-to-right across the box where it found the head of a diving
Christian DeOliveira with two seconds left on the clock.
After FDU took the lead back in the 60
th minute, the Ducks went back into comeback mode. In the 67
th minute,
Luke Carey played a corner kick across the box as the ball made its way to
Lucas Mendes. The first-year created just enough space in a sea of Devils for a lefty strike that deflected off an FDU defender and in, making it 2-all.
After a back-and-forth 15+ minutes following Mendes' equalizer, in the 85
th minute,
Emerson Kekesi was taken down in the box drawing a penalty. The sophomore calmly stepped up and fired a shot inside the right post as Ciach dove the other way, putting the Ducks in front for the first time all evening. FDU did not muster a shot in the closing minutes, as the Ducks closed out the comeback victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- DeOliveira recorded his first point as a Duck
- Mendes recorded his ninth point of the season, a team-high
- Kekesi notched his fourth goal of the season, also a team-high
- Smith's assist was his first point in his last five matches after totaling five points in his first five matches of the season
UP NEXT
The Ducks will host Lebanon Valley Saturday at 4:00 PM for Senior Day, as they'll honor the team's Class of 2025 before play begins.
#AllRise
