NORTH ANDOVER, MA– Siena Men's Soccer (4-1-1) successfully defended against 12 first-half shots to net a pair of second-half goals for a crucial road win Saturday evening. The Saints ran their unbeaten streak to three in non-conference play with a 2-0 decision at Merrimack (3-4) at Martone-Mejail Field in North Andover, Massachusetts.
After taking a 2-1 home victory over the Warriors last season to begin the all-time series, the Green and Gold found themselves having to defend right out of the gate, with graduate student goalkeeper Greg Monroe recording a remarkable ten first-half saves to set the stage for the final 45 minutes of play.
Despite being out-shot, 18-12, on the night, the Saints got in front early in the second half, with junior Junior Kone finishing off a pass from sophomore Jacob Sandun Arachchige-Jensen with a top-shelf strike from the box in the 57th minute. Siena would later use a set piece as insurance, with sophomore Erik Reis dishing a left-side corner to junior Bilal Hersi, who finished inside the six. Monroe added one more save in the second half to tie a career high with 11, one off the program record for saves in a match.
The win continues Siena's best start to a season since 2014, and gives it a 10-0 scoring advantage over its last two matches. The Saints completed back-to-back shutout wins for the second straight year and the first time in non-conference play since 2014. The team will next return home to host Vermont – who received votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches National Poll and is currently ranked first in the Northeast Region – on Wednesday, September 21 at 4 PM on Hickey Field.
