POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – Going scoreless for over 250 minutes in conference play did not result in any losses for Siena Men's Soccer, and it did not stop the team from unleashing a second half scoring barrage that put them in first place in the MAAC Standings Saturday evening. Two goals scored over the span of one minute and eight seconds gave Siena (6-3-3, 2-0-2) a 2-1 victory over defending MAAC champion Marist (5-4-1, 1-3) at Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field in Poughkeepsie, New York.
After dropping their final two non-conference contests of the year, the Green and Gold have now gone four straight games without a loss to match the program's longest unbeaten streak since 2015, and came away with their first win over the Red Foxes since 2017. At 2-0-2 in conference play, Siena is off to its best MAAC start points-wise since 2010, and is unbeaten through four league contests for the first time ever. The Saints currently stand alone at the top of the conference, and remain as one of three unbeaten MAAC clubs.
Siena began a stretch of four of five conference contests away from home by having to fend off some unlucky play, with the Red Foxes pulling ahead in the first half thanks to a handball called inside the box in the 24th minute. The home team would again be awarded a penalty kick try in the 37th minute, but the low right attempt was stopped by graduate student goalkeeper Greg Monroe.
A re-energized Siena squad tied the match on the 76th minute of play, with freshman Miguel Plaza setting up sophomore Thomas Sams for a long cross into the left side of the box, which was finished by classmate Thomas Storodegard in the form of a header for his team-leading fifth goal of the year.
It took only just over a minute for the Saints to secure the lead for good, with Plaza forcing a ball through traffic on the ground that found the foot of Storodegard to secure the Norwegian's second multi-goal performance of the season. Storodegard now owns the second-most goals and the fifth-most points in the league this season following Saturday's action.
Siena claimed victory despite Marist owning a 20-16 shots advantage, with both teams drawing four corner kick attempts apiece. Monroe came away with nine saves in-goal on the night, and is now just seven saves away from becoming the program's all-time leader in stops and securing his fifth career record of the season.
With six regular season matches left on the 2022 season, Siena will return home next week in a mid-week battle of MAAC unbeatens. The Saints will welcome Niagara (3-6-2, 2-0-1) to Hickey Field on Wednesday, October 12 at 2 PM, with action airing live on Siena All-Access.
