Powered by a four goal first half, the top-seeded LIU Post men’s soccer team routed fourth-seeded University of Bridgeport 6-2 in the East Coast Conference Semifinal on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Less than a minute into the game, the Pioneers began their assault when freshman forward Charlie Ledula notched a goal. After a quick response from Bridgeport a few minutes later, the Pioneers took it to another level.
After a goal by Bridgeport, sophomore back David Arvidsson fired a shot from nearly 30 yards out and it hit the back of the net, making it 3-1 in favor of the Pioneers. Nearing halftime, senior midfielder Per Forgaard made it 4-1. After the intermission, Ledula netted his second goal while fellow freshman forward Toby Ilomuanya added a goal in the 74th minute, making it 6-1.
The Pioneers looked to build on this win when they welcomed NYIT to the Pioneer Soccer Park on Friday, Nov. 5. Led by a great defense and great play from junior keeper Jesper Malmstrom, the Pioneers shutout NYIT 3-0 and won the East Coast Conference.
After a scoreless first half, the Pioneers got on the board in the 57th minute when Forgaard sent a header past the keeper. After another header which found the back of the net by the Pioneers, Forgaard was back at it again when he received a pass from junior forward Jason Lampkin into the mesh. The Pioneers now await seeding in the 2015 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship.
Women’s Soccer
With 45 minutes remaining in the contest and a one goal lead, the LIU Post women’s soccer team folded and allowed two goals to Roberts Wesleyan College, losing by a score of 3-2 in overtime.
Earlier in the game, junior forward Julia Backman gave LIU the 1-0 lead in the 35th minute after she corralled a loose ball in the box. After back-to-back goals by Roberts Wesleyan, which gave them a 2-1 lead, senior forward Susanne Vistnes struck in the 76th minute. Her goal, which tied things up at two, forced overtime.
In the overtime, junior midfielder Bella Mitrevski played the role of hero for her team as she scored the go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal in the 94th minute of the match.
Women’s Volleyball
Three sets was all it took for the LIU Post women’s volleyball team to take care of Roberts Wesleyan College on Saturday, Nov. 7. The Pioneers won the match easily, winning each set by at least 12 points. Freshman outside-hitter Rachel Londot notched her 12th double-double of the season with 12 kills and 14 digs.
In addition to Londot, senior setter Monica Amador totaled 11 kills, three aces, and two blocks while sophomore outside-hitter Danielle Valenza finished with seven kills and six sigs.
The Pioneers returned to the court on Sunday, Nov. 8, to do battle with Daemen College in their house. In that match, neither team seemed to be able to gain an advantage as the first four sets were split among the two sides.
The Pioneers pulled out the win in the final set, thanks to help all match long from Valenza and senior libero Rachel Ringor. Valenza led both teams in kills with 24 and also amassed 13 digs while Ringor totaled a game-high 28 digs. In that final and deciding fifth set, the Pioneers gutted out a 16-14 victory, giving them their 20th win of the season. The Lady Pioneers will wrap up their regular season with a trio of games which get underway on Thursday, Nov. 12, against Mercy College. First-serve from the Pratt Recreation Center on the LIU Post campus in Brookville is set for 7 p.m.
Wrestling
In their first meet of the season for the LIU Post wrestling team on Saturday, Nov. 7, junior Vinny Turano was the star as he earned the 141-lb title. LIU as a whole placed seventh at the Monarch Invitational. Turano had close bouts in the semifinal against Wilkes University’s Pankil Chander, which he won 13-7, and then against York College’s Gregory Warner. He upended Warner and won the bracket. In addition to Turano, sophomore Jake Horton placed third at the 197-lb weight class while fellow sophomore Matt Langan finished one spot lower at four in the 149-lb class. The Pioneers return to the mat on Wednesday, November 11 against Shippensburg University and York College. The matches get underway in Pennsylvania at 4 p.m.
This article was originally published in the Pioneer, the award-winning student newspaper of LIU Post, www.liupostpioneer.com, and is republished here by Blank Slate Media with the permission of the Pioneer.
