By Colin Richey
The Canisius men’s soccer team lost a pair of away games this past week, dropping to MAAC opponent Manhattan 4–0 on Saturday and 4–0 to St. Bonaventure on Wednesday. This is the team’s third game in a row without scoring a goal.
The Griffins dropped to 0–1 in conference play after their loss to Manhattan. The Jaspers dominated, outshooting Canisius 25–6, including 12–5 for shots on goal. Eight of Manhattan’s shots came in the first 20 minutes of play, and it was their ninth shot that found the back of the net. By the time the first half ended, the Jaspers had already taken a 4–0 lead, a score that would stay intact for the remaining 45 minutes of play.
Junior goalkeeper Jack Petrie started in net for the Griffs and finished the game with eight saves, a career high for Petrie and a team high for the season. Sophomore midfielder Daniel Longo led the team with two shots on net: Longo, along with freshman defender Kevin Villacorta, played all 90 minutes for Canisius.
The team then traveled to Olean to take on St. Bonaventure on Wednesday for a non-conference matchup. In an identical scoreline to their game on Saturday, the Griffs lost 4–0. The Bonnies netted the opening goal in the 36th minute of play, a rebound after the initial shot was saved by Canisius goalkeeper Spencer Catalano. Despite heading into halftime down only 1–0, the Griffins were unable to stay in the game for much longer. St. Bonaventure scored three quick goals within the first 20 minutes of the second half, resulting in the 4–0 loss. Overall, Canisius was outshot 20–9, including 7–5 for shots on net.
Four Griffs played all 90 minutes: freshman midfielder AJ Zarcone, sophomore midfielder Michael Switala, senior defender Riley Wagner and freshman forward Mason Petrucci. Longo and Petrucci each recorded two shots on net for Canisius.
The next game for Canisius will be against a MAAC opponent as they host Quinnipiac on Saturday at 1 p.m at the Demske Sports Complex, where the team will look to score their first goal since Sept. 9.