EAST BOSTON – Suffolk men's soccer played to a 1-1 draw against the Emerson College Lions on Saturday afternoon at James A. Sartori Stadium at East Boston Memorial Park after allowing a late penalty kick goal. The game was played as a cause game, bringing awareness to Suicide Prevention.
Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for college athletes. While athletes have many protective factors in place - community, resources, regular exercise - the pressure to succeed and time constraints can elevate their risk of developing suicidal thoughts. The stressful nature of participating in collegiate athletics, especially now with the added pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic, can significantly affect student-athletes and their mental well-being.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 1 | Emerson 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (3-1-1) | Emerson (1-0-3)
HOW IT HAPPENED
There were no goals seen in the first half, as both teams combined for just five shots on goal. Each team controlled the ball well and traded off possessions throughout the half with limited scoring chances. Suffolk's Damon Smargon put up the first shot on goal for the game in the seventh minute, but Emerson goalkeeper Ethan Fitzsimmons stepped in front of the shot for the save.
Later in the half, Suffolk goalkeeper Xander Balog defended the net well, saving two Emerson shots from Gregory Kopanezos and Jorah Delbanco to keep the score tied at zero heading into halftime.
Suffolk came out firing in the second half and it paid off when Carter Van Buskirk had two consecutive deep free kick opportunities from outside of the box, sending the second one past Fitzsimmons and into the back of the net to make it 1-0.
Emerson's first scoring chance came in the 70th minute when Thomas Chuaqui had a shot opportunity in front of the net but collided with a Suffolk defender to allow Balog to save the loose ball. They followed this chance with a corner kick opportunity from Skyler Stark Ragsdale to the head of Hugo Berville that sailed wide.
The Lions capitalized on a penalty inside the box in the 87th minute and Kopanezos buried it in the bottom right corner to tie the game. Neither team would have another scoring opportunity as time expired with a 1-1 draw.
NETMINDER NOTES
- Balog had seven saves in the tie.
- Fitzsimmons finished with four saves for the Saints.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Van Buskirk scored Suffolk's lone goal.
- Emerson had the upper hand in shots, 14-11, and shots on target, 8-5.
- The Lions had more corner chances, 4-2.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk moved to 8-10-1 all-time against Emerson.
- This was the first matchup with Emerson since 2017
- Van Buskirk stretched his point streak to four games.
