Brooklyn Boro

Olajide delivers second OT winner for St. Francis

Senior Forward Showing Penchant for Clutch Goals as Terriers Topple St. Peter’s

September 22, 2016 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle
For the second time in a week, senior forward Yussuf Olajide scored the game-winning goal in double overtime at Brooklyn Bridge Park as St. Francis Brooklyn edged Saint Peter’s 2-1 in its fifth marathon game of the young season. Photo courtesy of St. Francis College athletics
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You think the St. Francis Brooklyn men’s soccer team is a bit fatigued after playing four straight double overtime matches, and five overall thus far this season?

The Terriers’ head coach is getting tired just watching them.

“It’s exhausting for me on the sidelines, that’s for sure,” admitted SFC Brooklyn head coach Tom Giovatto after his team survived another 110-minute epic with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Saint Peter’s Wednesday night at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

“I’m hoping that [all these double overtime games are] building up a lot of endurance,” Giovatto added after his team improved to 3-3-2 on the season, with only three of those first eight contests ending in the standard 90 minutes of regulation.

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Trailing 1-0 throughout most of Wednesday evening’s match, SFC Brooklyn forced its fourth straight extra session and third in a row at Brooklyn Bridge Park during this “extended” homestand when sophomore midfielder Tommy De Andrade fed senior Salvatore Barone for the equalizer with just over four minutes left in regulation.

Barone, a Xaverian High School alum, beat Saint Peter’s goalie Jamie Cleland with a low shot off his left foot to the far post that rippled the net and sent the Terriers into celebration as they averted what appeared to be their second home loss of the year.

And started gearing up for yet another endurance test.

Senior forward Yussuf Olajide, who scored the double-overtime game-winner against NJIT on his 22nd birthday here last Wednesday night, repeated the feat exactly one week later, tallying with just over two minutes remaining in the second extra session to lift the Terriers to yet another dramatic finish.

“When you win it’s nice,” Giovatto said of the marathon contests that have become a regular happening for his Terriers.

“It would be nicer to come out and win in regulation.”

Nice, but not nearly as exciting.

All the extra minutes logged over the previous month may have actually swung the game back in SFC’s favor as the Terriers controlled the pace of play throughout the extra sessions.

After being outshot, 5-0, in the first half, SFC dominated Saint Peter’s via a 16-6 margin in attempts following intermission.

“We’re going to fight until the end,” Giovatto noted. “We played some really nice soccer in the second half. We just need to figure out how to score [in regulation], we’re slowly getting better every day.”

The happy ending would not have been possible without Olajide, who once again sent everyone at BBP home with a smile.

He accepted a brilliant feed from junior Dominick Falanga from 50 yards out and raced down the right side, deftly averting a pair of defenders and drawing Cleland out from between the pipes before beating him with a right-footed shot from 15 yards out for the victory.

“He’s been playing really well, turning on guys really well,” Giovatto said of his clutch performer of the week. “Two overtime finishes, and we needed it.”

They also will need some rest before wrapping up this grueling, albeit rewarding, homestand Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. against Howard.

***

Though they haven’t played since Sunday’s home victory over Manhattan College, the defending Northeast Conference champion LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds actually made some strides this week.

In the regional rankings, that is.

After toppling No. 22 Rider last week, then beating up on the Jaspers, the Blackbirds (4-2-1) climbed from ninth to sixth in the National Soccer Coaches Association Northeast Region Rankings.

Last Friday’s win over Rider was LIU’s first over a nationally ranked opponent since 1989.

The visiting Broncs were also No. 1 overall in the Northeast Region before the Blackbirds edged them on goals from sophomores Romario Guscott and Simen Hestnes.

Hestnes, the reigning NEC Player of the Week, had a goal and two assists in Sunday’s victory over Manhattan,

The Blackbirds will host Saint Peter’s at LIU Field on Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. That contest will be proceeded by the LIU women’s squad hosting Saint Joseph’s at 4 p.m.

***

Junior midfielder Jordy Ortiz netted his first career hat trick Wednesday night in Purchase, NY, lifting Brooklyn College to a 4-2 victory over their non-conference SUNY rivals.

Ortiz, who scored the game-winner in a 3-2 triumph over SUNY Canton on Sept. 11, helped the Bulldogs (3-4-1) overcame an early 1-0 deficit when the Brooklyn native scored the first of his three goals in the sixth minute.

He added tallies in the 50th and 65th minutes, but it was actually junior back Omer Capoglu’s free-kick goal in the 56th that put BC ahead to stay.

Freshman goalkeeper Jerron Streete picked up his third win of the year with five saves for the Bulldogs, who begin CUNYAC play Saturday at noon against York College at Brooklyn College Field.

 


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