Saturday, September 8, 2012 (New Haven, Connecticut) - The Mount Ida College men's soccer team surrendered a tough 2-1 double overtime loss to hosting 2011 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) champion Albertus Magnus College Saturday afternoon in New Haven, Connecticut. The Mustangs, who faced the Falcons in the first round of last year's conference post-season falling by the same score, fall to an overall record of 0-2-1 with a league slate of 0-1-0 still searching for their first victory with difficult opponents though the first three games.
James Lucchesi (Norwalk, CT) scored the game-winning goal in the 103rd minute as the Falcons edged Mount Ida. With the score tied at one, the senior connected on the ball and finished in a scramble in front of the net to lift Albertus to victory. For Lucchesi, it was his first goal scored on the year, while it was unassisted.
The Falcons took a 1-0 lead in the first half as Nick Hamasian (Hamden, CT) scored his second goal of the season in the 37th minute of play. Stephen Zapata (Hamden, CT) sent a free kick into the box where it found Hamasian, who one-timed the pass out of the reach of Mount Ida keeper, Matt Pils (Monroe, CT/Masuk).
Albertus held a 10-5 shots advantage in the first half before controlling tempo early in the second frame. With less than six minutes to go in regulation, Mount Ida tied the contest at one, which eventually sent the game into overtime. Ryan Richardson (Winfield, KS/Winfield) tallied his first goal of the year as he drilled a shot from 15-yards out after receiving a pass from Carlos Martinez (Chelsea, MA/Chelsea).
The match remained tied after the first-overtime period as just three shots were taken. In the second frame of extra time, the Falcons used just one shot to secure the victory as it took the hosts just under three minutes to end the game.
The Falcons finished the afternoon outshooting the Mustangs 20-12, including a 7-6 clip in the second half.
Albertus' Donato Piroscafo (Naugatuck, CT) registered five saves in the win, while Pils tallied six saves in net for Mount Ida.
Mount Ida will host their first home GNAC contest against visiting Suffolk University this coming Wednesday with game time slated for 7:00 p.m. for their first night game on the newly constructed Alumni Field.
Some Content Courtesy of Albertus Magnus College Sports Information