PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Lafayette men's soccer took on CAA foe Drexel on Tuesday night at Vidas Field, which concluded in a scoreless draw.
The Leopards earned the first chance of the match, despite Drexel having the majority of possession in the opening 10 minutes. The Dragons were in sound control when senior
Connor DeAngelis won the ball back for Lafayette. The Somers, Conn. native quickly drove towards goal and flashed a left-footed shot, but his effort flurried wide.
Seconds later junior
Conor Cohen nearly gave the Maroon and White an early lead. Fellow classmates
Max Fujimori and
Griffin Feather were working the ball down the right flank when Cohen popped up in free space. After receiving the ball, the Economics major cut inside on his right foot and rifled a curled shot that required safe hands from Raphael Bartell.
Lafayette created a few more half chances with time running low, but the hosts came close to nicking a goal in the 41
st minute. Gonzalo Aberola was dribbling towards the Leopards' goal when a Lafayette defender brought him down 20 yards from net. Leon Parker stepped up to take the free kick, but his shot rattled off the crossbar.
Drexel's best chance of the match came in the 44
th minute. Park won the ball back on the edge of the Leopards' penalty area prior to finding the feet of Tiago Lima-Bittencourt. The midfielder skated past a defender and struck a powerful shot, but junior goalkeeper
Marco Brok made a commanding save to keep the match scoreless. Tuesday night was the Atlanta, Ga. native's first minutes and start for Lafayette and he tallied four saves in his collegiate debut.
Heading into halftime the contest remained a 0-0 stalemate.
The Leopards began the second half with a lot of positivity going forward, but they struggled to find the final pass in their attacking third. However, Lafayette had back-to-back chances to open the scoring in the 63
rd minute.
Junior defender
Jeovany Gamez made a quick run in behind Drexel's back line as a teammate picked him out. The Hanover, Md. native managed to create half a yard and unleashed a long-range effort that required saving by Bartell. The following corner kick was taken by junior
Samir Dishnica and his service found the head of captain
Nicholas Liebich, but Bartell made an incredible save to deny the six-foot-five center back.
The Dragons were more aggressive as time winded down, but Brok and the Leopards' back line dowsed any fires they encountered. Neither side was able to break the deadlock, so the match concluded in a 0-0 draw.
The Maroon and White return to Gummeson Grounds: Home of Mike Bourger '44 Field at Oaks Stadium at 1 p.m. on Saturday to face on Army on Senior Day.
To keep up with the Lafayette men's soccer program, follow its social media pages.
X/@Lafayette_MSOC | Instagram/@lafayette_msoc | Facebook/GoLeopards
