Sparkill, N.Y. - Returning to Spartan Field for the first time since their 2021 East Coast Conference Tournament Championship match, the St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Soccer team posted a thrilling 3-2 victory over Alliance University (formerly Nyack College) on Saturday afternoon.
STAC improves to 2-1 on the young season, while Alliance drops to 0-2.
With approximately 250 students, parents, families, faculty and administrators on hand as part of the college's Spartan Journey Orientation Weekend, the day began with a pregame tailgate filled with music, food and prize raffles for all in attendance.
When the teams took to the pitch, it was the visitors who would get on the scoresheet first, with Alex Gazzoni finding the foot of Noah Brill in front of the net on a cross field pass for an easy tap-in goal, giving AU the 1-0 advantage in the 38th minute.
However, the lead would be short-lived, as Kevon Evans took a pass and proceeded to dance around several Alliance defenders to score his first of two goals on the afternoon, tying the game at 1-1 just before halftime.
After the break, St. Thomas Aquinas would find the back of the net twice more to extend its lead to 3-1. First, Kevon Evans once again slipped past several AU defenders and beat keeper Marco Roessle to give STAC the one-goal advantage in the 57th minute. Three minutes later Jorge Umana scored his fifth of the year, taking the ball through two defenders and placing a shot to the back of the onion bag to expand the scoreboard by two goals.
Alliance narrowed the STAC lead to just one in the final minutes of the game, when Sebastian Pedraza found Alex Gazzoni in front of the net from the near sideline for an uncontested goal past keeper Felix Davies to make it 3-2. The Spartans would close out the contest in the AU end of the field, running out the clock to clinch the non-conference win.
Inside the Box Score
- Kevon Evans tallied two goals in a match, giving him five on the season.
- Jorge Umana picked up his fifth goal on the season in Saturday's match.
- Felix Davies (W, 1-0) finished the game with eight saves on the afternoon.
- STAC outshot Alliance by a 16-13 margin, with 11 shots going on frame.
Up Next
St. Thomas Aquinas heads back out on the road, facing off with Chestnut Hill College on Wednesday, September 7. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Victory Field in Lafayette Hill, Pa.