PURCHASE, N.Y. – Senior midfielder
Chris Marchese (Cold Spring, N.Y.) scored three times for the first hat trick of his career to lead the Mount Saint Mary College men's soccer team (9-4-1, 6-1 Skyline) to a 3-0 shutout victory over Skyline Conference rival Purchase College (6-7-1, 3-2-1 Skyline) Saturday afternoon at Purchase's turf field.
Marchese netted what proved to be the game winner in the 35th minute off an assist from senior forward
Matt Garcia (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) to put the Knights up, 1-0. A crucial moment in the flow of the game came in the first few minutes of the second half, when Purchase's Junior Sanguina drew a penalty-kick opportunity. Junior goalkeeper
Austin Peluso (Farmington, Conn.) laid out to make a huge stop and keep the Knights on top.
Marchese headed a cross from sophomore midfielder
Mike Zanfardino (Saint James, N.Y.) for his second goal of the game in the 58th minute to double the Knight lead. He tallied his third in the 67th minute after connecting on a penalty kick to give the Knights a three-goal lead.
Peluso picked up his fourth shutout and sixth victory of the season, making eight saves in the process. Purchase's Esteban Aguilar suffered the loss after allowing three goals, stopping seven shots in the game.
Despite the three-goal difference, the game was relatively even, as the Knights only outshot the Panthers, 15-13. Both teams were equal in corner-kick opportunities with three apiece.
Now back on track after a pair of tough losses, the Knights face another important matchup with The Sage Colleges on Tuesday, Oct. 21. The game is set to kick off under the lights of Kaplan Field at 7 p.m.
Follow the Knights on Twitter
@MSMCKnights
