Historic win sends Jays to playoffs

Purchase, NY -  There have been a lot of firsts this season for the NYU-Poly men's soccer team, but none compares to the one the team achieved Saturday afternoon in a rain-filled Skyline Conference match with Purchase College. The Jays have been on a mission this season to be the first-ever men's soccer team to make the post-season.  Mission Accomplished!

Three different Jays tallied goals as NYU-Poly cruised to the 3-0 win, improving to 8-8-1 and 3-3-1 in the Skyline conference. The victory combined with a 4-0 St Joseph's result over Mount Saint Mary, eliminated MSM and secured a spot for the Fighting Blue Jays.

Senior Volkan Turgut (Rochester, NY / Bishop Kearny) got NYU-Poly on the board in the 11th minute when he finished off a 1-2 combo from freshmen Omar Guerrero (Austin, TX / Stephan F Austin HS) and Allen Rohr (Northridge, CA / Granada Hills Charter). Moments later Guerrero nearly struck from 30 yards out, but Purchase keeper Alex Frenkel (Danbury, CT) made a diving save backwards tipping the shot over the bar. The NYU-Poly offensive barrage continued and Frenkel continued to make impressive saves as both freshmen Nick Belesis (Marblehead, MA / Marblehead HS) and Sal DeVito (Pequannock, NJ / Pequannock Township HS) had great strikes turned away.

Sophomore captain Joe Gabor gave the Jays a 2-0 lead in the 28th minute as he converted NYU-Poly's first PK of the season. Purchase was called for a hand ball in the box. The Jays unloaded 11 shots on goal in the first frame, while Purchase managed just one.

The Jays withstood a physical battle early in the second half as Purchase was whistled for 9 fouls and received three yellow cards and one send off in the first 20 minutes, disrupting any rhythm the Jays created in the first frame. But, NYU-Poly settled down and sealed the victory in the 70th minute when freshmen Nick Michalczewski (Miami, FL / Chaminade Madenna) beat his defender along the left side of the box, dribbled along the endline and slotted a pass to senior Diego Schwartz (Rego Park, NY / Forest Hills HS) who converted the text book style goal.

Senior keeper Rob Petri (St. Louis, MO / St John Vianney) made seven saves for NYU-Poly, most on harmless shots, and in the process recorded his second straight shutout and 3rd on the season.  Petri and the NYU-Poly defense also have gone 226 minutes without allowing a goal, which breaks the record which was broken earlier this season (211).

The Jays outshot Purchase 23-7, while earning 12 corners to one for the Panthers. NYU-Poly hosts Medgar Evers on Monday at 4:30pm, in a non-conference match at Aviator.