NORTH CALDWELL, N.J. – The Monroe University – Bronx men's soccer team's strong effort was not enough on Wednesday evening as the Express fell short in a hard-fought matchup on the road with NJCAA Division II Essex County College, 2-1, at Essex Field.
Monroe (0-2-1) struck first during the 23
rd minute.
Oumar Barry sprinted down the left wing and glided the ball across the field to
Maynor Palacios who dodged a sliding defender and rifled the ball into the net to give the Blue and Gold a 1-0 edge.
Both teams exchanged quality scoring chances during the remainder of the half, but Monroe escaped with the 1-0 lead at the intermission.
Essex County (3-0-0) dominated possession throughout the majority of the second half, but Monroe's defense held firm for the most part. However, during the 68
th minute, Micha Dorant-Smith of the Wolverines kicked the ball towards his team's offensive box. The ball deflected off a defending Monroe player and into the Express' goal which tied the match at one.
Less than 10 minutes later, the Wolverines' relentless pressure forced Monroe to commit a foul inside its own defensive box which awarded the home team a penalty kick. Jayden Diaz took the kick and launched it past the Express' goalkeeper to give Essex County a 2-1 benefit with 13:34 remaining in the contest.
The last five minutes and change were dominated by the Express as the Blue and Gold earned multiple chances.
Oumar Barry lined a shot towards the goal, but it was denied by netminder Moritz Plikat. With just over a minute left to play,
Kadiff Wolfe executed a corner kick for the Express.
Enzo Jarry headed the ball towards the net, but Plikat made another save.
The clock ticked down to zero, and Essex County escaped with the win.
During the contest, Monroe was outshot by a 20-8 margin (7-4 in shots on goal). Essex County had the advantage in corner kicks, 7-4.
Kimany Arzu made his season debut for the Express and stopped two shots. Plikat made six saves to earn the win.
Monroe – Bronx will open Region 15 play on Saturday afternoon at Ulster County Community College. The action at Rondout Valley Field in Accord, N.Y. will begin at 2 p.m.
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