After recognizing seniors Jeremy Polonia (12) and Chris Trifilio (27), the Lyndon Hornets faced off against the SUNY Delhi Broncos on Saturday, September 26 in a tough NAC Conference match. Having yet to win a conference game in the season as well as it being Senior Day for their players, the men’s soccer team was craving a win. They were shut down by the visiting Broncos, however, with a 5-0 end score favoring SUNY Delhi.
The sunny game began with a quick goal by Juan Velez (26) in the first couple of minutes. Lyndon’s goalie Caleb Derbyshire (88) worked with his defensive field players to stop any more goals being scored in the first half, including preventing a penalty kick from Brody Rettle (25), which had the audience on the edge of their seats! Rettle’s unassisted goal rattled the Hornets as it came from a direct kick that made it through the defender’s wall.
Both teams showed their skills as the clock counted down the first half of the game by playing a minigame of hacky sack. Neither Lyndon or SUNY Delhi players would let the ball touch the ground, bouncing it off their heads, knees, and feet to their teammates for a couple minutes. The athleticism and composure both teams showed in these moments were impeccable.
The second half started with strong defensive and offensive showings from both teams. However, after fifteen minutes, it was Bronco John Cabrera (13) who scored another point against the Hornets. His team rallied behind him, as Cabrera scored again, followed by goals from Rettle and Emmanuel Gonzalez (19), all within fifteen minutes.
For the remainder of the game, the Hornets played more defensively and were desperate to keep Delhi from continuing their lead. Derbyshire was able to get his hands on fourteen other attempted shots from the Broncos and Lyndon’s defense was able to stop the rest of their balls from coming near the goal. Although Lyndon lacked in points, they made up for it in the actual gameplay.
The men’s soccer team hosts their final game of the season in an NAC Conference match against the University of Maine – Farmington at 12:00 PM on Tuesday, September 29. We hope to see all our other Hornets at the game, cheering our team for their final season hurrah!
Featured Photo: Lyndon Senior Chris Trifilio (27) faces off with a Bronco one-on-one. || Photo by Alexandra Huff