Sparkill, N.Y. - A late-match goal by Caden Leader of Saint Anselm College, sent the St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartans to their first defeat in their last five contests, as the visiting Hawks claimed victory 2-1 on Tuesday afternoon at Spartan Field in Sparkill.
The setback drops STAC's record to 7-3-1 overall, 4-1 in ECC play, while Saint Anselm improves to 5-6 and 2-5 in NE10 action.
Jorge Umana, who earned ECC Offensive Player of the Week accolades on Tuesday, got the scoring started just five minutes into the match, as he took a pass, dribbled up field on the far sideline and was able to put a hard, low shot past Hawks keeper Brian Underhill into the bottom right corner of the net to make it 1-0 St. Thomas Aquinas.
STAC would maintain their slim one-goal lead until the 22nd minute, when an Andrew Kubinski shot deflected off of the foot Jackson Bukunt and past Spartan goalie Asier Vegas to tie the score at one. There would be no further scoring in the half, as the teams would break for halftime tied 1-1.
Second half action would feature the Spartans and Hawks trading chances, with both shots on net and via corner kick opportunities. However, neither side would be able to solve each others defenders and keepers, that is until the 89th minute of the match. Saint Anselm's Zach Elliot would send a pass to teammate Caden Leader inside the box with 1:07 remaining in regulation and Leader would place a perfect strike into the top left corner of the net, past Vegas to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.
STAC, having just over a minute to play, would put tremendous pressure on the Hawks in the hopes of tying the match. Angelo Zografos and Jorge Umana would take the final shots for the Spartans, with Zografos' being blocked by the defense and Umana's begin saved by Underhill to give Saint Anselm the one-goal victory.
Inside the Box Score
- Jorge Umana's goal in the match is his fifth of the season and third in the last two games.
- STAC held advantages in shots (15-9) and corner kicks (8-5) over Saint Anselm on the afternoon.
- Asier Vegas (6-2-0) played the full 90 minutes for St. Thomas Aquinas, stopping two of four shots faced.
- Angelo Zografos took three shots on the day, with teammates Jorge Umana, Cole Allen and Anthony Bolivar Sanchez taking two apiece.
- Today's loss is the first in almost a month for the Spartans (Last Defeat: September 18 vs. UDC).
Up Next
St. Thomas Aquinas will next host the College of Staten Island on Saturday, October 16, in a key ECC matchup with standings implications. Kickoff is scheduled for 2pm at Spartan Field in Sparkill.