MADISON, NJ (October 29, 2022) – The Susquehanna men's soccer team traveled to New Jersey for the final match of their 2022 campaign, visiting Landmark opponent Drew University on Saturday afternoon. Already mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, the River Hawks focus was building positive momentum for next season. Despite putting up a gritty defensive showing, SU ultimately would fall 1-0 to an 86th minute winner from the Rangers.
Defending and goalkeeping was key for the River Hawks throughout the match, as they faced 18 total shots from Drew with eight testing first-year goalkeeper Tony Burns, who was equal to the takes on seven of the eight, turning in a strong performance in the second half in particular, with five of his saves in the half.
The River Hawks were not without their own offensive chances, putting up eight shots on the day, but putting only three on target, all of which were saved by the Drew keeper. The forward group would be the ones to provide those offensive chances, with senior Michael Morelli and sophomores Tommy O'Keefe and Max Paczewski putting the shots on net. Paczewski finishes the season as the team leader in scoring with three goals in his sophomore campaign, and after scoring four as a first-year in 2021, he'll look to be a prominent scoring threat for SU in future campaigns.
The sole goal of the game came late on a Drew counterattack, after Paczewski's shot on goal was saved. A dangerous ball played into the box brought out Burns, who punched it away but saw it fall to the feet of Drew's Tino Puentes, who had a simple finish into the bottom right corner to finally break through the stout defense of the River Hawks. SU was unable to muster any further significant attacking chances in the waning moments as Drew kept them at bay to clinch the victory when time expired.
Finishing the season with an overall record of 2-12-3 and 0-6-1 in the Landmark Conference, the final records prove to do a poor job of reflecting the growth for Susquehanna in the second half of the season. After scoring just four goals in their first 11 matches, SU scored nine in their next six and got two shutout victories over Penn College and Marywood University. With seven seniors scheduled to graduate from this year's team, they'll now look to reload with new talent and prepare for the 2023 campaign.
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--RIVER HAWKS--
