Box Score
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Six different Blackbirds had shot opportunities, but the LIU Brooklyn men's soccer team fell to Sacred Heart, 1-0, in Connecticut on Sunday afternoon.
Junior forward Brice Merwine and sophomore midfielder Nahuel Medina each had two shots, while the Pioneers held the 15-9 advantage. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Logan Keys added four saves to his season total.
Two Sacred Heart fouls near the top of the box gave the Blackbirds some early opportunities, but the Pioneers managed the first shot of the game in the second minute. LIU Brooklyn was able to regain position and bring the ball back down to the other end of the field.
Keys, who has the second-best save percentage in the conference, made his first of the game five minutes in. He made another critical play with 34 minutes left in the first half to prevent the Pioneers from taking the shot.
The Pioneers then took two more shots, including one in perfect position from Kafel Mahmoud, Sacred
Heart's leading scorer. But Keys was able to tip the ball away in the air to keep the Blackbirds out of trouble.
A corner kick from put the ball right on front of the goal for LIU Brooklyn. Keaton Sprague managed to get a piece of it for the Blackbirds first shot of the game, but the ball was blocked.
Sacred Heart controlled the shots in the first half, while Mahmoud had a breakaway opportunity in the 39th minute. Keys punched away the ball to keep the game the game scoreless.
Junior forward David Nuernerberg attempted to get the Blackbirds on board as the clock ticked down to the end of the first half, but his shot was blocked.
The Pioneers had a near-miss to start out the second half, as Aaron Burrell's shot went just wide of the goal. They had another close call a few minutes later when Mahmoud's shot hit the crossbar.
Merwine managed a shot for the Blackbirds in the 51st minute, but it was wide, before freshman forward Nathan Stewart also took a wide shot.
Sacred Heart was able to get on the board in the 59th minute, however, after the ball was knocked loose six yards in front of the net, and Marcelo Simoes was able to put the Pioneers up, 1-0.
The Blackbirds had a prime opportunity in the 65th minute, after a Sacred Heart foul put the ball right outside the center of the box for LIU, but sophomore midfielder Tanner Sica's kick went wide. Medina saw a shot on the goal in the 73rd minute, but SHU goalkeeper Tucker Hackett made the save.
Junior defender Tyler Draovitch had one last shot on goal attempt for the Blackbirds, but was unable to capitalize as Sacred Heart went on to win the match.
LIU Brooklyn returns to LIU Field on Sunday, Nov. 10 for its final regular season match of the season, a 12:00 p.m. against St. Francis Brooklyn.