Ensa Sanneh playing against St. John defender.
GOJASPERS.COM /COURTESY
Emmanouel Sofillas, Assistant Sports Editor
Mens Soccer
Manhattan University men’s soccer faced a tough challenge on Friday, falling 2-1 to St. John’s in a close match. The Jaspers found themselves down early after a handball in the box led to a penalty kick, converted by St. John’s Macoumba Ba in the minute 21.
Despite this setback, the Jaspers remained resilient, with Ziv Dahan equalizing 55 minutes in with a header. Just two minutes later, however, St. John’s responded with a goal from Miguel Diaz, putting St. John’s back in the lead.
The return of former MAAC Defender of the Year Nassim Akki and fellow defender Malo Blondeau provided stability in front of goalkeeper Ludvig Malberg, helping the Jaspers stay competitive. However, St. John’s had the edge in shots, recording nine points compared to the Jaspers’ six.
The next game for the Jaspers is against Seton Hall.
Women’s Soccer
The Lady Jaspers’ season started out victorious with a good match against Central Connecticut State University (CCSU).
Manhattan secured a 1-0 victory over CCSU on Wednesday night at CCSU Soccer Field. The Jaspers, having used the first half of the match to gauge their opponents, struck just before halftime with a goal from sophomore midfielder Olivia McMaster. McMaster’s goal, assisted by Samantha D’Angelo, gave MU the edge.
In the second half, the Jaspers continued to press, with McMaster hitting the right post in minute 49 and Sami Derrico narrowly missing just over an hour into gameplay. Despite their efforts, the Jaspers were unable to add to their lead.
Sophomore goalkeeper Molly Brunk, who was vital in the previous games and earned MAAC Defensive Player of the Week honors, recorded her third consecutive shutout. Brunk, who made four saves in the first half, was untroubled in the second, as CCSU’s shots went off target.
The next game for the Lady Jaspers is Sept. 6 against Delaware State University at Gaelic Park.
Cross Country
The Jaspers had a meet this past Saturday, as they went up to the Harry Lang Invitational hosted by Colgate University. Senior Jack Flannigan managed to set a new career-best time in the 6k, crossing the finish line at 21:16 and placing third for the Jaspers and 34th overall. Jackson Newton led the Jaspers with a time of 20:35 and placed 21st overall. The men’s team finished the meet in fifth place.
The women’s team was able to grab fourth place overall. They were led by freshman Mikaella Martin as she starred in her first meet. She crossed the finish line with a time of 19:46 and finished 21st overall.
They will travel up to Marist next weekend for the Marist Opener meet.