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TROY, N.Y. –
Travis Connell scored off a rebound with 7.9 seconds remaining in the second half to lift the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s soccer team to a 3-2 win over 12th-ranked New Jersey City University (NJCU) in the Red Hawk Classic at Renwyck Field. The game was the season opener for both teams.
Connell (Leavenworth, KS/Leavenworth), a junior midfielder, notched the game-winning goal when he found the ball loose off a
Andrew Tambasco (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) shot in the six-yard box and scored past NJCU goalkeeper Andre Viola (Clifton, NJ/St. Joseph’s Regional). Viola initially had the ball but he could not hold it as Connell applied pressure.
RPI fought back from a 2-0 deficit to the Gothic Knights, who came into the game ranked 12th nationally in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Pre-Season Poll. Junior
Lincoln Field (Warren, NH/Hopkinton) put the Red Hawks on the board on a penalty kick in the 24th minute and senior
Kevin Swift (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) tied it off a header in the 69th minute.
Field drew the penalty kick when he was shoved in the back while in the box, drawing a yellow card. He scored into the lower left corner while Viola dove to the right. Swift tallied off an assist from sophomore Blake Adams (Cedar Grove, NJ/Seton Hall Prep.), who took a free kick from 40 yards out that Swift deposited low, just inside the far post.
NJCU, which played in the NCAA Tournament a season ago, jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a pair of goals by reigning New Jersey Athletic Conference Player of the Year Cristhian Acuna (East Newark, NJ/Harrison). The senior forward scored his first in the 8th minute on a shot into the upper right corner from 18 yards. He doubled the visitors’ lead roughly 10 minutes later when he took a through-ball down the center from Edison Bilbao (Carteret, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep.) and scored on his own rebound with 26:42 remaining in the first half.
Sophomore
Alex Penny (Northport, NY/Northport) earned the win in goal for Rensselaer, making six saves. Viola stopped three shots for the Gothic Knights.
RPI returns to action on Saturday against Rhode Island College in the final game of the Red Hawk Classic (4:30pm). NJCU battles Union College at 2pm. Union defeated Rhode Island, 1-0, in the first game of the tournament.