NEW YORK, NY – Pratt Institute men's soccer dropped their conference home opener to the Warriors of Vaughn College, a 2-1 decision, on Thursday evening at Randall's Island. With the result, Vaughn improved to 2-0 (1-0 HVIAC) while Pratt fell to 2-4 (1-1 HVIAC).
"It is tough because there was simple thing we set out to do in the beginning of the game, defending against long balls and through balls, and for some reason we went away from that," remarked coach Jonas Worth following the match. "Unfortunately that adjustment didn't happen until the second half. It's really important that they recognized that, and know that if we could just make those changes before the game starts, we put ourselves in a position to win."
Deadlocked through the first 15 minutes, Vaughn struck first, as Denis Moschenko broke through the Cannoneer defense and slipped a low strike past Pratt's Bubby Vernon, giving the Warriors a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute of play.
Pratt continued to press for the duration of the first half, but a staunch Vaughn defense held the hosts without a shot on goal after the first 45 minutes.
The second half began much like the first, with both teams slow to the pace as they looked to establish more offense. After a controversial foul on Pratt just outside the box, Moschenko bent his free kick past the Cannoneer wall to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage.
Late in the contest, Pratt's persistence on the attacking end finally came through. Freshman Michael South took a pass at midfield, raced past a Vaughn defender, and beat the goalkeeper 1-on-1, cutting the deficit to 2-1 in the 87th minute. The Cannoneers' comeback attempt fell short, however, as Vaughn would hold on for the victory,
Afterwards, Worth stressed unity and the importance of his players holding to their game plan.
"We're going to have to be sure we apply a team mentality and the tactics we set out to play right from the get go," noted Worth. "If one person plays out of sync, it makes all the difference.
In goal, junior Bubby Vernon continued his improved play, registering nine saves, while South's strike was his fifth of the season.
Up Next: The Cannoneers travel to The Bronx for a non-conference contest against the Dolphins of Mount Saint Vincent. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 am.
