The Bobcats continued to add to their winless streak with a narrow 3-2 loss to Manhattan on Wednesday. This loss extended the Bobcats’ winless streak to 11 games and made their MAAC playoff aspirations feel less and less likely with each game played. The Bobcats have four points through eight conference games.
The first half was all Jaspers as they recorded eight shots while only holding the Bobcats to one. The Jaspers also had four corners in the first half compared to the Bobcats two.
The Jaspers had the first chance of the game as senior Sebastiano Musu had a shot that was caught by sophomore goalkeeper Karl Netzell. After commotion during the corner kick the ball fell to Musu at the back post who then shot it into Netzell.
The Bobcats’ best chance seemed to work to perfection when after a passing display defender Gustaf Rosengren crossed the ball looking to get on the head of fifth-year forward Tomas Svecula but the ball just missed his head and went wide.
The second half is where we saw all five goals with the first one coming three minutes into the second half as the Jaspers got the first goal of the game. Ziv Daham got past senior defender Terrance Wilder Jr. by the goal line and crossed it in where Gunnar Studenhofft rose and backheeled it past Netzell for the early 1-0 lead.
The Bobcats tied the game up in the 69th minute as Svecula sneaked past the Jaspers’ defense and put a pass by graduate student Noah Silverman that was served on a silver platter in the back of the net to tie the game.
“Tommy asked him to play a little bit of a different role this year, he has started as a provider early on in the year,” coach Eric Da Costa said. “In the last few games, we’ve had to use him as a nine and he’s been able to get his goals.
In-game adjustments made by coach Da Costa got fifth-year midfielder Jason Budhai behind sophomore defender Nassim Akki who took down Budhai in the box a minute after Svecula’s goal for a late penalty kick. Svecula stepped up for the penalty and calmly slotted it into the bottom right corner which flipped the game on its head as the Bobcats took a late 2-1 lead with 20 minutes left.
“To have Jay as a weapon is important and he’s been like that since he walked in the door,” Da Costa said. “He has evolved as a player where he was just raw talent that could run all day and now he’s a real soccer player who can do a lot of things.”
After gaining the lead, coach Da Costa decided to go more defensively, bringing on junior midfielder Drew Seguro for the team’s highest scorer, Brage Aasen as well as taking out Rosengren for the taller sophomore defender Luke Schierenbeck.
“To bring off a guy that you know is more offensive-minded is to bring in someone who’s got some energy and then Luke for his height, commanding the balls in the air,” Da Costa said. “We knew that they wanted to get a wide and just dump it in the box.”
The Jaspers got a late penalty of their own as sophomore midfielder Ayoub Boumelala was taken down in the box by Svecula in the 80th minute. Sophomore midfielder Henry Hamilton calmly put it in the bottom right corner to tie the game at 2-2 putting the Bobcats on their heels in terms of the MAAC playoffs.
Junior forward Tony Yeboah during a corner passed the ball to Boumelala who then whipped in a cross to Studenhofft who his height advantage to head the ball into the back of the net to take the late 3-2 lead in the 83rd minute.
After trying all they could do, the Bobcats couldn’t get the tying goal losing 3-2 in a heartbreak.
Quinnipiac has two final MAAC games remaining against Niagara and Fairfield who also have playoff aspirations like the Bobcats. The Bobcats need to win two to at least have a chance to make their playoff aspirations true.
