ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. – The St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s soccer team secured a place in the 2024 United East Conference (UEC) Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament after an action-packed 6-3 victory over Notre Dame of Maryland University on Wednesday, October 16. In a high-energy match, six different Seahawks contributed to the scoring as St. Mary’s College stretched their win streak to four games.
How It Happened
The game got off to a fast start with sophomore forward Lucas Evans (Greenbelt, Md./South River) finding the net just 1:08 into the match for his sixth goal of the season. His early strike gave the Seahawks an immediate 1-0 advantage.
Notre Dame’s Athanasios Ziliaskopoulos leveled the score at 15:24 when he pounced on a loose ball, making it 1-1. However, St. Mary’s quickly took control of the game, scoring three times in a seven-minute span. Abdoul Anounkou (Togo/Springbrook [Md.]), Franco Reyes (Silver Spring, Md./Montgomery Blair), and Jack Nelson (Ellicott City, Md./River Hill) each netted goals to put the Seahawks up 4-1 by the 31st minute.
Notre Dame responded just before halftime, with Adrian Andersen scoring from 20 yards out at 32:29 to cut the deficit to 4-2.
In the second half, the Gators closed in when Ziliaskopoulos converted a corner kick from Carter Hafez at 52:07, bringing the score to 4-3. But St. Mary’s did not let the momentum shift for long. Senior forward Alex Ochman (Rockville, Md./Wootton) and first-year forward William Marbray (Ellicott City, Md./Marriotts Ridge) each added goals late in the game, securing the Seahawks’ 6-3 victory.
Inside the Box Score
St. Mary’s College dominated the game with a significant 32-11 shot advantage, including 14 shots on goal. The Seahawks also won 16 corner kicks compared to Notre Dame’s five.
Throughout their current four-game win streak, the Seahawks have outscored their opponents 26-6, underscoring their offensive dominance.
Sophomore goalkeeper Jordon Eckman (Fallston, Md./Loyola Blakefield) made four saves in the victory. Meanwhile, midfielders Zach Blaum (Richmond, Va./Atlee), Luke Duswalt (Leonardtown, Md./Leonardtown), and Tyler Foti (Annandale, Va./Annandale) and first-year forward Nick Haney (Chesapeake, Md./Northern) each provided assists.
For Notre Dame, Ziliaskopoulos led the team with two goals, while Tassilo Lehmkuhl contributed three shots, one of which was on goal. Gators goalkeeper Mateo Gularte recorded eight saves to help keep his team in the match.
What’s Next
St. Mary’s College (6-6-2, 5-0-0 UEC) will face Penn State Harrisburg (12-3-1, 5-0-0 UEC) on Saturday, October 19, in Middletown, Pa. Both teams remain undefeated in UEC play, making this an important matchup at 3:00 p.m.
