The Cavaliers men’s soccer team fell to the Eastern University Eagles by a score 7-1 on Saturday, Sept. 15, across Eagle Road at Eastern University.
The Cavaliers have not had a deficit that large since back on Sept. 4, 2005. That was a shutout from Salisbury University, the Blue and White losing 8-0.
“We were very focused going into the game,” said junior Don Irons “We knew what this game meant to not only us but to the school as well.”
Both the Cavaliers and the Eagles came out with strong with their play but at the 22-minute mark Eastern’s freshmen Ben Hriscu tallied his first of three goals of the day.
One minute later Hriscu struck again with a header into the left corner of the goal, set up on a free kick by teammate Jair Saenz.
“Those two goals really frustrated us, we knew we could score and needed too but it disappointed us to let up two goals right after each other,” junior C.J. Doherty said.
The Cavaliers couldn’t capitalize after those two goals for the rest of the half, which ended 2-0 in favor of the Eagles.
As the second half started Cabrini was looking to even out the playing field and seemed to come back very eager.
However the Cavaliers continued to struggle and less then four minutes into the second half, Eastern’s Eric Giovagnoli sent the ball by Cabrini’s goalie Eric Nowicki.
Extending the lead to 5-0 in the 63rd minute were goals from Eagles Mitch Osterhouse and Hunter Rosenberg.
Proving that the Cavaliers had not given up was the single team goal at the 68th minute by hard fought sophomore Eric Goldbloom. That was also Goldbloom’s first career goal playing for the blue and white.
The single goal by the Cavaliers was quickly shot down when the Eagles tallied two more goals into the net at the 74th and 75th minute, one by Eastern’s Hriscu who completed the hat trick of the day on a penalty kick.
Cabrini fired 10 shots, two each from freshman Boomer Steigelman and junior Ryan Cerrato. Only five of Cabrini’s ten shots were on goal.
“It seemed to just be a struggle all game,” said Cabrini Goalie Eric Nowicki. “We really need to work out our consistency because that’s what seemed to be our overall problem all day.”
Ending the game with a 7-1 loss, the Cavaliers fell in the Battle of Eagle Road at Eastern University this year. Cabrini looking for revenge next season when the host the annual game.
