The Cabrini men’s soccer team defeated Holy Family in a non-conference game, bringing its record to 3-8 overall and 1-4 in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference.
In the first half, Sean Dugan, a sophomore, led the team by scoring the first three goals, all in the first half.
“We controlled the game in the first minute of the first half and we switched the lineup around, which was one of the most significant parts of the game,” Dugan said. “Ball control was a lot better and everyone did their job.”
Although the win will not affect PAC standings, “Holy Family is one of our city rivals,” Dugan said. “It turned on the juices.”
With the juices flowing, the Cavs were ready for battle from the start. “We put a lot of pressure on the team in the first 10 to 15 minutes of the game and we gained confidence,” sophomore Anthony Pepe said. “We had high confidence, and we built on that from the beginning of the game.”
Ten seconds into the second half, Pepe scored the fourth and final goal of the game to make it 4-0. “We got inside 18 and put it in real quick and real slick,” Pepe said.
The Cavs’ defense was like a wall, and they held Holy Family back for the rest of the game.
Vincent Sofia, a freshman, said the most significant part of the game was getting the lead. “Most of the games this year we have not had the lead. We had the lead against Widener but ended up losing. This is the first time we put away a team by a significant margin.” Sofia said that they have improved in condition and they have “more endurance.” The main reason they won is because “they had to,” Sofia said. “We were 2-8, and we want to go undefeated for the rest of the season.”
Dan McMonagle, a freshman, agreed with Dugan that the lineup change was a significant change for the team. “They made the change of Pepe from sweeper to midfield. We came right out and took the lead. The main reason we won is because we came together as a team and everyone worked hard.”
Casey Marshall, a freshman, said it was the first goal that was most significant. “We never really play with a lead,” Marshall said. “We finally got the ball on the ground instead of playing kick and run.”
