BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn men's soccer team dominated its home opener against St. Bonaventure, 4-0, on the first day of the Astroturf Brooklyn Bridge Cup on Friday. The Blackbirds scored at least four goals and held an opponent scoreless at home for the first time since a 5-0 victory over Iona in 1994.
LIU got off to a good start in the team's home opener when redshirt senior
Keaton Sprague scored the first goal of the game in the 3rd minute, which was assisted by reigning NEC Rookie of the Week
Rasmus Hansen and redshirt sophomore
Naeem Charles.
Freshman
Simen Hestnes registered the next two shots for the Blackbirds in the 12th and the 13th minute, but was not able to get either past the Bonnies' defense. In the 24th minute, Charles missed a header just wide of the post.
Senior
Nahuel Medina got a shot off in the 41st minute, but missed high. Just two minutes later, Medina would find the back of the net, as freshman Filip Nordstrom found him in front of the net with a nice cross. Hestnes began the play with a long ball over the top to Nordstrom. The Blackbirds would go into the locker room with a 2-0 lead.
In the 49th minute, St. Bonaventure's Ryan Zebuth got a shot off, but was saved by redshirt junior keeper
Logan Keys. Keys would make another save in the 56th minute, stopping a shot from midfielder Kieran Toland.
The third goal for the Blackbirds came in the 82nd minute, when senior midfielder
Raffi Gregorian sent a corner kick to the far post, where senior defender
Tanner Sica headed home his first goal of the season. Sica went for a second goal on the night, but missed wide later in the 82nd minute.
In the final minute, freshman midfielder
Christoffer Bjarre Solbakken scored his first goal of the season and the fourth goal of the night for the Blackbirds, which was assisted by Medina. The Bonnies got off one last shot late in the 90th minute, but midfield/defender Kyle Kleckner missed high.
The result was also the first time LIU has beaten a team by at least four goals since defeating St. Francis Brooklyn, 7-3, in 2007. The last time LIU shutout another team while scoring four or more goals was at Sacred Heart in 1998, when the Blackbirds defeated the Pioneers, 6-0.
UP NEXTThe Blackbirds take on UMass Lowell in their final game of the Astroturf Brooklyn Bridge Cup on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 1:00 p.m. at LIU Field.