Men’s Soccer Undefeated Streak Continues in Senior Day Draw
Image courtesy of James Moore and Catholic Athletics.
By Griffin Cappiello
Men’s soccer fought for a 0-0 draw on Saturday afternoon in their Landmark Conference home opener against Moravian. The #9 Cardinals, led by nine seniors who were honored before the match, and the Greyhounds each created several chances, but neither side was able to break the deadlock.
The Cards were largely in control of the first half, keeping most of the possession and outshooting the Hounds 8 to 2. Moravian created the best chance of the half just 13 minutes into the match when Colin Woelhcke received a cross just outside of the six-yard box. Woelhcke fired a shot towards goal, but senior goalkeeper Owen Allegro went to ground quickly to make an incredible save and protect his goal.
The Cardinals had several corner kicks in the first half, but were unable to take advantage of their set piece opportunities, despite promising attempts from junior centerbacks Graham Leary and Ellington Andrews. Senior wingback Ryan Kuegler, sophomore wingback Jack Cappuccio, and freshman forward Kaleb Wilburn each tallied shots of their own, with Kuegler also putting in several strong tackles to help the Cards in their defensive third.
The game quickly got physical, with players on both sides making strong challenges. Leary received a yellow card caution at the start of the second half, and just four minutes later, was sent off with a straight red card after an altercation with a few Greyhound players. Down a man for the majority of the second half, the Cardinals were forced to bring on another centerback, sophomore Aiden Brindle.
Immediately following the red card, the Greyhounds created a good opportunity, but Allegro came up with another massive save to keep a clean sheet. Although Moravian had a man advantage, the game opened up for Catholic in the second half, as Cappuccio, sophomore midfielder Carson Shamoo, and sophomore wingback Christian Backich all created several chances.
With five minutes left in the match, Moravian’s Enzo Petruzzelli ripped a shot at goal that ricocheted off the crossbar. The game ended with both teams unable to find the back of the net, but tempers flared on the pitch after the match. Moravian’s Aidan McMillan and Catholic’s Azaria Tewodros were shown yellow cards after the final whistle.
Prior to the match, Catholic honored nine seniors for their contributions to the program on and off the pitch. Owen Allego, Ryan Kuegler, Seth Michalak, Azaria Tewodros, Donik Elshani, Luke Lillis, Corey Magro, Charlie Paparella, and Michael Brown were ushered onto the field with their family members, and flowers were gifted to each player’s mother.
The Cardinals moved to 7-0-3 on the season, with a 1-0-1 record in conference play. The Greyhounds are now 5-2-4 on the year and 1-0-1 in conference play.
The Cardinals will return to action on Wednesday, October 7, as they take on Goucher at home in a Landmark Conference matchup. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
