On Oct. 8, Point Park men’s soccer defeated Washington Adventist 2-1 on the road for its second win in a row, which boosted the team’s overall record to 6-5-1.
“It feels great to be back on track, winning, and scoring goals again,” said Point Park forward Alan Ramos. “We have to keep our momentum going.”
The Pioneers found the back of the net multiple times for the second consecutive game following a threegame scoreless streak. Their ability to create numerous scoring opportunities paved the way for their victory against Washington Adventist. They recorded 19 total shots — eight of which were on goal.
“Our offense has surely stepped up during the past couple games,” Ramos said. “It was a lack of confidence before, but we are on our way [in improving].”
After the offense’s scoring drought, the Pioneers were inclined to focus on attacking in practice.
“It’s nice to see it paying off,” Pioneers defender Paul Carr said regarding the time his team spent working on attacking in practice.
It took only 16 minutes for the Pioneers to amass a goal versus Washington Adventist. On a throw in, Point Park defender Zach Rafalowski tossed the ball into a huddle of players from both teams. Fellow defender Paul Carr speared the ball with his head and scored a goal.
“He (Rafalowski) delivered a perfect throw for me,” said Carr.
Eight minutes later, Ramos put the Pioneers on the board again on a pass from midfielder Dominic Canello. That scoring play marked Canello’s fifth assist of the season, which is the team lead. Moreover, Ramos’ goal is his fifth of the season, which leads the team as well.
The Pioneers have been more successful this season when Ramos is in several scoring opportunity situations during the course of a game. Ramos racked up six shots on goal during Point Park’s last two games. During the team’s aforementioned, three-game goal drought, he compiled just two shots on goal.
“It’s hard to win games when goals aren’t being scored,” Ramos said. “So I’m happy to have scored and want to keep helping my team in any way possible."
Washington Adventist broke Point Park’s chances of a shutout in the 76th minute of play, when Dominic Atubongakeng scored on Pioneers goalie Zak Borzovoy. The Pioneers held onto its lead for the remainder of the game.
According to Carr, the Pioneers feel relieved to have two straight wins that contained several goals under their belt. However, the team must not dwell on past achievements.
“We can’t take our foot off the gas now,” Carr said. “What’s happened has happened, and we need to stay focused.”
Next up for the Pioneers is Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) foe Brescia, which they play at home on Oct. 17. Brescia possesses a 1-7 overall record this season, but its one victory came against a KIAC team, Cincinnati Christian.
Nonetheless, the Pioneers are certain they can extend their winning streak.
“We expect a decisive win against Brescia as usual,” said Borzovoy. “What’s important in games like that is not only getting the result, but making sure we make use of the game as a platform to learn and improve for the more difficult tests.”
