Box score

Senior day insert

Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey men's soccer team defeated Kean University 4-2 on Senior Day at TCNJ's Soccer Complex on Saturday afternoon.
 
The senior class accounted for all four goals and two assists as Ed Kozic (Raritan, NJ/Immaculat), Chris Pisano (Metuchen, NJ/Metuchen), and Mike Recchia (Wayside, NJ/Ocean Township) all netted goals for the Lions (5-6-4). Classmate Luigi Moriello (Ewing, NJ/Notre Dame) and sophomore Sean Casey (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) each dished out a pair of assists.
 
After a scoreless first half, TCNJ opened up a 2-0 lead quickly after the intermission. Kozic headed home a terrific cross from Casey to open the scoring. Just under six minutes later, Pisano took a flick from Moriello and re-directed a shot past the keeper for his second goal of the season.
 
The Cougars (8-5-2) battled back as Abner Denis converted a penalty kick at the 57:08 mark. With just under 20 minutes remaining in regulation, Sebastian Zepata hit a first-time volley off a long cross from Brian Reina to tie the score at two.
 
Kean nearly took the lead in the 75^th minute when freshman Erickson Simeon got behind the defense. He went in one-on-one with junior goalkeeper Adam Friedman (Chester, NJ/West Morris Mendham), and Friedman came up with a clutch, sliding save to keep the game tied.
 
The Lions regrouped and moments later, Pisano tallied his second score of the game when he headed in a cross from Moriello to regain the lead 3-2 with 14:28 remaining.
 
Casey then fed Recchia from the left side, and the senior ripped a low shot into the left-hand corner for his second goal of the season. It was a fitting conclusion to the final home game for seven seniors on TCNJ's squad.
 
Goalkeeper Aaron Utman (Hopewell, NJ/Hopewell Valley) and Friedman combined for the win in goal. Utman had four saves in the first half and Friedman stopped three shots in the second period. The Lions outshot the Cougars 21-20 in the game. Kean's Brian Haines had a pair of saves in goal.
 
TCNJ is off until next Saturday when they visit New Jersey City University on October 22 at 1 p.m. Their regular season finale is at Rowan University on Wednesday, October 26 at 7 p.m.