Box Score
Purchase, NY (Sept. 11, 2013) – Purchase men's soccer head coach James Bruno prepped for weeks.
Always a stickler for the littlest things, Bruno circled 9/11 on the calendar with dual purpose this fall. The date marked an anniversary of a day Bruno – a retired New York City Fireman who was on the job during September of 2001 – and the rest of the country will never forget. But although the wounds may never completely heal from the tragic events of that morning here in New York City for those like Bruno who were so close to the events at the World Trade Center, the date becomes an anniversary of remembrance and homage to those who gave some and many who gave all in the name of freedom.
It also becomes an opportunity to write a new chapter on a date that has become so synonymous with tears.
There were a few of those for the heavy hearts on hand Wednesday night as Purchase and Bruno paid respect to 9/11 during the program's home opener, and by the end of the night, those tears turned to joy as Bruno guided the Panthers to their first win of the season, not to mention his first career college win as a head coach. It was an emotionally-filled 4-0 final over York College, a strong CUNY Conference opponent from Jamaica, Queens.
Purchase held a brief pregame ceremony that was highlighted by the Purchase Fire Department and MCed by Sports Information Director Bobby Ciafardini. The Purchase Fire Department presented the colors during the National Anthem, paving the way for an exciting matchup with the Cardinals that went scoreless into the half.
A tenacious defensive matchup loosed in the second half as Purchase finally broke through and scored four unanswered goals, including two off of penalty kicks to coast to its first win of the season in four tries.
"The victory made a tough day a little easier," Bruno said afterward. "The guys played very well and we're happy to come out of this with a win."
Junior Sanguina (JR/White Plains, NY) was the offensive star of the night, scoring the game's first goal on a PK and then later adding another PK, which capped the scoring at 4-0. Danny Moallem (SR/New Rochelle, NY) followed the first PK roughly six minutes later with a score off an assist from Eli Wilson-Berkowitz (JR/Northampton, MA) and Myles Clohessy (SO/Cornwall, CT) extended the lead later in the second half with his second goal of the season.
Although the offense stole the show in the second, it was Purchase's defense and the play of goalkeeper Esteban Aguilar (SO/East Hampton, NY), who earned his first shutout, who should also receive a bulk of the credit. Aguilar made seven stops in the win and continued his impressive play this fall in the net.
Purchase won the battle of shots (18-15) and kept the Cardinals at bay with a sterling rookie backline that includes four freshmen in Wil Kauffman (FR/Broomall, PA), Andrew Dyal (FR/Red Hook, NY), Brad Kohel (FR/Goshen, NY) and Connor Leavens (FR/Whitestone, NY). Moallem, Clohessy and Wilson-Berkowitz were also strong all the way around in the victory.
In defeat, York dropped to 1-2. Purchase is now 1-3 and will face the City College of New York Saturday looking to make it two straight at home.
