Box Score

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.— Senior Kareem Roberts scored the game winning goal with just over two minutes to play, breaking a 3-3 tie, as the John Jay men's soccer team won a pivotal game over the College of Staten Island 4-3 at the CSI Soccer Complex on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The win was the second in a row for John Jay, who improved to 4-6-3 overall and 3-1-2 in CUNYAC play. CSI fell to 6-6-0 overall and 2-1-0 in CUNYAC.
 
The win virtually assures the Bloodhounds of a top four seed in the opening round of the 2012 CUNYAC / Applebee's men's soccer championship at the end of this month.  John Jay now has the inside track with just two conference games remaining, including a match against Lehman (10/6) and Brooklyn (10/13).
 
With the score tied at three late, Roberts got on a loose ball and had an open look at the net with the CSI goalkeeper away from the net. His first shot was stopped by a CSI defender. But the ball ricocheted back to Roberts who blasted it to the back of the mesh for the eventual game winner with 2:01 to go.
 
Roberts' goal was the icing on the cake for what was an unusual game that saw John Jay start out by scoring two early goals to take a 2-0 lead before CSI netted three late in the stanza to lead 3-2, before John Jay scored twice more in the second half to retake the lead and win.
 
John Jay's first goal came less than five minutes into the game when Nermin Kurtesi put one in the net via a breakaway while CSI played with a man down momentarily due to minor injury. The Bloodhounds scored again in the 21st minute on a goal by Yotam Bloom, with assists coming from Kurtesi and Ratko Rakocevic.
 
But the latter portion of the first half belonged to CSI. The Dolphins scored three goals in the final twenty minutes of the first half to take momentum of the game and eventually the lead at the break.
 
CSI's Nedgy Nazon scored two goals and assisted on another during the Dolphins' scoring span, while CSI's other goal was netted by Daniel Tsygankov.
 
After a scoreless second half through the first thirty plus minutes, John Jay got the equalizer when Korede Griffith scored on a header off a corner kick sent by Navid Allah Morad with 11:32 remaining. Then Roberts' goal just over 10 minutes later won it.
 
John Jay held a 23-15 advantage on shots, including an overwhelming 16-5 edge in the second half.
 
Goalkeeper Vitecha Kochaon made six saves in the win for the Bloodhounds.
 
 CSI goalkeeper Ahmed El-Gahreib stopped 10 John Jay shots. El-Gahreib almost tied the game for CSI himself in the final minute with his offensive ability. With the Dolphins attempting a corner kick with just over thirty seconds remaining, El-Gahreib sprinted into the box and headed the corner kick just high of the net.  It proved to be CSI's last chance at a game tying goal before the match ended.
 
John Jay returns to action on Sat. Oct. 6 for a match against defending conference champions Lehman College at the Metropolitan Oval at 7 p.m.

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