The Ramapo College men’s soccer team continues to build momentum, as they just secured a 4-1 non-conference win on the road against Penn College on Saturday.
The Roadrunners started the game with intensity, setting the tone early in terms of possession and offensive pressure. Freshman midfielder Elton Mani put Ramapo on the board with a goal in the 34th minute. It was assisted by senior midfielder Jack Hosmer, with additional help from junior midfielder Kyle Allen, giving them a 1-0 lead. Not long after, Allen added to the Roadrunners’ lead with an unassisted goal in the 42nd minute. Both teams headed into halftime with a 2-0 score.
Penn College managed to get on the scoreboard early in the second half. Austin Stapleton scored a goal in the 60th minute with an assist from Logan Pietrzak, to bring the Wildcats to one goal. However, Ramapo quickly responded. In the 74th minute, junior forward Alim Lita found the back of the net with an assist from Mani, pushing the score to 3-1. The Roadrunners weren’t done yet, as Allen scored his second goal of the game off a pass from senior forward Jun Choi in the 81st minute to seal the 4-1 victory.
“I thought the game went well. I could have definitely scored a couple more goals, but was pleased with the result,” Allen told The Ramapo News. “The highlight of the game was when Jun beat his man to cross the ball across the box for our fourth goal of the game. I thought the team performed well. There were a couple of small mistakes that led to their goal but other than that we played well creating a lot of chances. Our strategy going forward is to keep guys healthy and focus on game planning going into the NJACS.”
Ramapo head coach, DJ Pinton, shared his thoughts on the team’s performance, noting, “I am pleased with the win over the weekend. I felt like we controlled most of the match and created numerous scoring opportunities and were able to cash in on some of them. While our attacking play has been great we definitely need to improve defensively as a unit and not concede as many goals as we have.”
Looking ahead, Coach Pinton acknowledged the challenges that await in conference play. “We will be facing a far tougher test for the second half of the season as the NJAC, in my opinion, is the best D3 soccer conference in the country,” he added.
Ramapo posted 21 shots in the game, with nine on goal. They also had an advantage in corner kicks, winning seven to Penn’s three. Defensively, Ramapo’s sophomore goalkeeper Dilan Solorzano made three crucial saves in the second half.
The win brings the Roadrunners to a 4-1-2 record overall, as they turn their attention to their next non-conference matchup against the City College of New York on Wednesday, September 25th, in Mahwah NJ. Ramapo will be looking to build on their strong performance.
As the team’s focus shifts to the NJAC competition, Coach Pinton and his team are eager to prove themselves as one of the top contenders. “I’m excited for the guys and looking forward to the remaining part of the season,” Pinton said.
Ramapo will host their first conference game of the season on Saturday, Sept. 28 against Rutgers-Camden at 1 p.m.
lkelyman@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @rcnjmenssoccer, Instagram
