JERSEY CITY, NJ - The Saint Peter's University men's soccer team dropped its final home contest of the season on Saturday afternoon, losing 2-1 to Niagara at Jaroschak Field. After the Peacocks started the day with a 1-0 advantage off a goal from senior forward
Dominic Laws, the Purple Eagles soon tied the game in the first half and, with under seven minutes left in regulation, put in the go-ahead score that would stand until the final whistle.
Game Notes
- Niagara began the day on the attack, recording two shots within the first 10 minutes, one of which was on goal but was brought up short by senior goalkeeper Robbie Anderson.
- Saint Peter's was quickly able to regain its tempo though, as junior midfielder Jamie Davis was able to get a strong shot off in the 13th minute that narrowly missed its mark and ricocheted off the crossbar.
- Senior captain Jordan Jowers kept the Peacocks on the offensive front, recording his first shot on goal three minutes later that was thwarted by the Niagara keeper.
- The third time proved to be the charm for Saint Peter's when redshirt-sophomore Brian Carvalhoso sent a long ball to Laws at the 18' mark, which led to the Sunderland, England native beating the goalkeeper in a one-on-one for the team's first goal of the day.
- It didn't take long for the Purple Eagles to respond however, as the visitors were awarded a penalty kick in the 25th minute following a hand-ball from the Peacocks inside their own box. The visitors would convert the kick and tie the game at 1-1.
- Anderson faced two more Niagara shots in the first half, handling both and keeping the score even heading into the break.
- Saint Peter's maintained possession well through the start of the second half, which granted the team three straight corner kicks in the span of just over a minute, but a strong Niagara defense repelled the attack.
- At the 64' mark, Laws got another good look at goal, albeit from a tough angle on the near side of the field, which he sent to the lower right corner of the Niagara net, only for it to be stopped by the Purple Eagles' keeper.
- The game remained a back-and-forth exchange for the next 19 minutes until Niagara was finally able to find the back of the Saint Peter's net once more in the 83rd minute.
- Carvalhoso managed two shots on goal before the final whistle sounded, but the Purple Eagles retained their lead through the 90th minute.
Inside the Numbers
- Laws now holds three goals on the year following his two-score performance against Fairfield on March 26.
- Carvalhoso's assist to Laws in the 18th minute marks the first helper of the redshirt-sophomore's career. The Linden native also matched his career-high in minutes played, playing all 90 minutes on Saturday.
- Both Laws and Caravlhoso led the team in shots on goal, tallying two apiece.
- Each keeper finished with five saves on the day, while Niagara faced 10 shots from the Saint Peter's offense compared the nine shots faced for the Peacocks.
Coach's Quotes - Julian Richens
- "Not the result we wanted on the day we celebrated the contributions of our senior group, who have been fantastic throughout their time here at Saint Peter's. They leave a lasting legacy to the current underclassmen."
- "We move on and start our recovery preparations for a big week for this program."
Up Next
- The Peacocks will make the trip to Western New York this week as they prepare to travel to Canisius on Monday, April 5 in a 1 p.m. start.
