ALBANY, N.Y. – Russell Sage College men's soccer hosted the neighboring Panthers of Albany College of Pharmacy in their home opener on Tuesday night, coming out on top in a 2-1 battle at the ACP Athletic Complex.
The Gators (1-1-0) scored first and held the lead the rest of the way. RSC controlled the game with their defense, holding the Panthers to only five shots while taking 26 of their own.
"I'm proud of the guys for getting the result tonight, it isn't easy to control a game from start to finish the way we did," Head Coach Amir Pasic said after the win. "I was happy with our response after conceding a goal right before half. We didn't let it deflate us and we continued forward creating a number of quality chances. We are exactly where we need to be at this point in the season."
Freshman defender Logan Diebold (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) got the scoring started on Tuesday night, scoring off a corner kick from sophomore forward Dimitri Gogas (Merrick, NY/W.C. Mepham).
Gogas found the back of the net himself just a few minutes later to push the Gators' lead to 2-0. The Panthers got one back, and RSC took a 2-1 advantage into the break.
Freshman goalkeeper Maximilian Bertmann (South Burlington, VT/South Burlington) (1-1-0) saved two shots in his first victory of his young collegiate career.
Albany College of Pharmacy (0-1) got on the scoreboard on an RSC own-goal, but it was not enough against the strong defensive performance from the Gators.
The Gators are back on the pitch on Saturday as they host MCLA for a 1:00 PM start.
Notes: Head coach Amir Pasic is in his third season at the helm of the Gators…21 newcomers combine with 16 returnees to comprise this fall's roster…Forward El Hadji Iba Sy (Bronx, NY/Emma Lazarus), a grad student, and Senior midfielder/forward Joe Piperata (Rensselaer, NY/Catholic Central) highlight the returning Gators…Junior Alejandro Aleo (Alicante, Spain/Ira Macia Abela/Saint Rose), freshman defender Logan Diebold (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South), and senior forward Darien Espinal (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa/Saint Rose) headline the crop of new faces…Senior defenders Taiwo Afolabi (Arlington, TX/Mansfield Summit/Medaille), and Mason Kievit (LaGrange, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes), and Aleo, serve as the team captains.
