PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville University Men's Soccer team secured the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Skyline Conference Championship following a 2-2 draw against Purchase College (1-12-5, 0-6-5 SKY) on Wednesday evening. With the result, the Valiants move to 12-3-4 overall and 9-1-1 in conference, securing the top spot in the postseason tournament.
The Valiants took an early lead in the 14
th minute. Following a foul inside the box,
Manuel Morales (Madrid, Spain/International College Spain) converted a penalty kick at the 13:18 mark to give the Valiants a 1-0 advantage. Manhattanville continued to apply offensive pressure throughout the opening half, recording six shots while maintaining its one-goal lead heading into halftime.
The Valiants extended their advantage shortly after the break as
Alec Pineda (Yonkers, N.Y./Port Chester) found the back of the net in the 51
st minute.
Oliver Tecuapetla (Valhalla, N.Y./Valhalla) provided the assist on the play, doubling Manhattanville's lead 2-0.
Purchase responded just five minutes later as Zion Smith scored in the 56
th minute off an assist from Jacob Pence to cut the deficit in half. The Panthers continued their comeback effort, eventually finding the equalizer in the 66
th minute when Pence converted a penalty kick to even the contest at 2-2.
Manhattanville pushed to regain the lead throughout the final 25 minutes, generating several scoring opportunities.
Marco Palushaj (Northville, Mich./Northville),
Alex Guevara (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas), and Morales each recorded shots on goal in the closing stages, but the Valiants were unable to break the deadlock before the final whistle.
Jesse James de Ruiter (Hoensbroek, the Netherlands/Eijkhagen Charlemagne College) played all 90 minutes in net for the Valiants, recording five saves.
Despite the draw, Manhattanville's conference performance proved enough to secure the No. 1 seed in the Skyline Conference Championship, positioning the Valiants at the top of the tournament field as they prepare for postseason play.
UP NEXT
Men's Soccer will see the first round of playoffs Nov. 4 at 4PM.
