Box Score WASHINGTON - The Catholic University men's soccer team sealed their second straight win Saturday, as they faced their first Landmark Conference opponent of the 2014 season, the Elizabethtown Blue Jays, at the CUA soccer field.
Both teams battled hard for first half dominance. Catholic totaled five shots in comparison to Elizabethtown's four, with the scoreboard reading 0-0 at halftime. The Cardinals came out strong in the second half, and managed to put themselves on the board first. Junior Ben Sykes crossed a ball from the left side to fellow junior Tyler Zimmerman in the 18-yard box, putting the Cardinals up 1-0.
The Blue Jays responded in the 62nd minute with a penalty kick goal. Tied 1-1, the Cardinals kept up their momentum and continuously put themselves in scoring positions up on their half of the field. The breaking goal came just a few minutes later, as sophomore Nico Bartolomeo fired a shot into the net from the far right side of the 18-yard box, assisted by freshman Matt Holtschneider.
The Cardinals led 2-1, and worked hard to maintain their lead both offensively and defensively. Senior Torsten Meuschke made his sixth start for the Cardinals, totaling four saves. The second half consisted of seven shots for Catholic. Zimmerman stood out offensively against Elizabethtown with five shots and four shots on goal.
The team tacked on one more goal six minutes after their second. Bartolomeo drove a direct kick into the mix of players in front of the Blue Jays' goal, and freshman Jack Traxler put a hard foot on it in the six-yard box. The final score read 3-1 Catholic, giving the Cardinals a 3-4-0 record.
CUA soccer will host Washington College on Wednesday, September 20 at 4:00 p.m. on the CUA Soccer field.
