Quinnipiac men’s soccer finally broke through in MAAC play, defeating Saint Peter’s 2–0 on Saturday afternoon behind a pair of goals from sophomore forward William Holum and a commanding defensive effort.
The win marks the Bobcats’ first of the conference season, avoiding a dreaded 0–2 start in conference play. Both squads entered the match seeking their first MAAC victory, but it was Quinnipiac that was the aggressor early on, seizing control and never letting go.
Holum opened the scoring just over 10 minutes into the match, finishing a well-placed ball for his second goal of the year. Sivert Ryssdalsnes picked up his third assist of the year on the goal.
From there, the Bobcats dominated time of possession, stringing together crisp passes and forcing Saint Peter’s goalkeeper Moritz Conrad into action. Conrad, a senior, delivered a standout performance despite the loss, recording multiple acrobatic saves to keep the Peacocks within reach.
25 minutes in, Conrad punched Quinnipiac’s first corner of the match, and later leaped over a Ferrera set piece. His sliding stop in the 76th minute and late-game denial in the 87th were among the highlights of a busy afternoon between the posts.
The Bobcats excelled against leading MAAC scorer Tim Strelle, as he was shut down early and often. The Bobcats sent two men to him quite frequently and took him out of the game with his only real chance being a high-and-wide free kick in the 36th minute. If St. Peter’s were to win, their offense was going to have to come from someone other than the senior forward.
Quinnipiac’s physical play was evident throughout, with several stoppages and a pair of late yellow cards issued to Kaarlsson and McCreary.
Though largely untested with only one shot on goal, Bobcats goalkeeper Nickolas Cardona, who was celebrating his birthday, made a strong case to retain the starting job for Quinnipiac. Seeing consistent goalkeeping is an excellent sign for any Quinnipiac soccer fan. Cardona makes a huge save in the 89th minute as the Peacocks try to make it a one-goal game. After the win, the whole Bobcats team sang Happy Birthday in a team huddle.
Quinnipiac’s second goal came from Hollum, scoring from a beautiful tick-tack-toe play set up by great ball movement in the 63rd minute with Ryssdalsness picking up another assist.
“Happy seeing this team develop from the first practice till now,” Holum said. “The good seasons are the ones that do not start easily.”
Midway through the second half, the Bobcats made a push in the 73rd minute, looking to add an insurance goal, but it was later called offside. The Peacocks, looking to push the pace of play and get back in this game, were denied. A lack of communication on the offensive side of the ball was a constant theme for the Peacocks throughout.
Micah Oguero continued to be a bright spot for the Peacocks, making several key blocks, including a diving stop in the first half and a second-half clearance at in the 55th minute.
Late in the game, a yellow card was assessed to both Quinnipiac’s Joey Saputo Jr. and St. Peter’s Shane McCreery in the final minute.
“Next game up mentality,” Quinnipiac lead assistant coach Matt Jones, “not worry about other teams.”
Quinnipiac will look to continue its back-to-back wins as it takes on Sacred Heart on Wednesday at 3 P.M.
