by Mikael DeSanto
Sports Assignment Editor
The St. Bonaventure University men’s soccer team picked up its third conference play win of the season, and third in the last four games, Wednesday night when it beat the George Washington Colonials 1-0. The win brought the Bonnies record to 4-9-2 overall, and 3-2-1 in conference play.
The Colonials took control of the game to start, generating the first three shots of the game, as well as three corner kicks, before the Bonnies got a chance on offense. The Bonnies got their first shot off in the 20th minute, finally breaking through for three in the span of four minutes, though they failed to score.
The Colonials continued to keep up the offensive pressure throughout the rest of the half, playing a physical game that drew six fouls in the first half, but were unable to convert on any of the chances they got. The Bonnies got a couple of chances late, but also did not score, and so the half ended in a scoreless tie.
The second half began and the Bonnies struck quickly. Less than one minute into the half, redshirt junior defender Bonaventure Akinlosotu broke through and got a one-on-one opportunity with a Colonial defender, putting the ball in the back of the net for his first goal of the season.
Both teams began to trade opportunities, each generating shots but missing the chances. In the 58th minute, the Colonials got the chance for a penalty kick, but senior midfielder Garrett Heine was stopped by redshirt freshman goalkeeper Alex Olday, one of five saves he made during the game.
As the game progressed it became increasingly physical and intense, with the Colonials turning up the tempo in an attempt to score, while the Bonnies tried to match the pace to stop them. In the final 20 minutes of the game, the teams combined for six fouls, including a yellow card on the Bonnies’ junior midfielder Paul Afful in the 83rd minute.
But the Colonials attempts would fall short, as Olday fell on the ball in the closing seconds to secure a Bonnie victory.
The Bonnies will next play when they travel to Saint Louis on Oct. 22 to take on the Billikens at 8 p.m.
desantmj13@bonaventure.edu
