In a highly contested match that saw its share of drama and controversy, the Quinnipiac men’s soccer team narrowly fell to Marist 1-0 Wednesday on the road.
The action began early when Marist took the lead in the 16th minute. A free kick launched into Quinnipiac’s box led to some chaotic defending.
The ball got loose after graduate student forward Tomas Svecula’s unsuccessful attempt to clear it, paving the way for Red Foxes junior midfielder Jørgen Thue Kristiansen to capitalize and slot it into the net to put the hosts in front.
The first half was characterized by physicality and aggressive challenges, culminating in five yellow cards being shown. As the teams went into halftime, Kristiansen’s goal remained the difference.
Just two minutes into the second half, Quinnipiac freshman midfielder Francisco Ferreira was shown a red card, reducing the Bobcats to 10 men and putting them on the back foot for the remainder of the game.
In the 65th minute, the Red Foxes appeared to have doubled their lead when a header from freshman midfielder Sam Gjokaj found the back of the net. However, to Quinnipiac’s relief, the goal was overturned by the referees for offsides.
Emotions reached its boiling point when junior midfielder Noe Cabezas reacted aggressively to what he perceived to be a questionable slide tackle, going as far as wrapping his hands around one of the Red Foxes’ necks. The altercation resulted in two players being shown red cards – a direct one for Cabezas and one for a Marist player who wasn’t even dressed for the match, but came off the bench to shove Cabezas in the ensuing chaos.
Now down two players, Quinnipiac’s offense continued to struggle, as it has all season. The Bobcats only mustered just one shot on goal in 90 minutes, and have scored just two goals in their last three MAAC games.
The final whistle blew with Marist holding onto their 1-0 lead. Yet, the final whistle didn’t signal the end of tempers flaring. Both teams engaged in pushing and shoving post-game, highlighting a common theme for a match that finished with over a dozen yellow cards and three reds.
Quinnipiac remains winless after four games of MAAC play, now in desperation mode if it wants a shot at hosting a postseason game.
The Bobcats will now turn their attention to Saturday, when they host Siena at 2:00 p.m.
