The Colgate Men’s soccer team continued their successful 2016 campaign with a decisive 2-0 victory over Siena College on September 9. The Raiders’ growing confidence has been boosted after taking down a top-25 ranked team. The Raiders controlled the game on both sides of the field and were rewarded with the majority of quality scoring chances. This marked their fourth shutout of the season.

Despite solid chances throughout the first 45 minutes, the score was still knotted 0-0 at halftime. Colgate was knocking on the door from the start of the contest with multiple corner kicks and shots on net throughout the half, but unfortunately could not find the back of the net. 

Head coach Erik Ronning commented on the team’s smart play. 

“As the game wore on, we created a lot of good quality scoring opportunities for ourselves,” Ronning said. “We played well on both sides of the ball.”  

The stalemate was broken when sophomore forward Abdel Sanogo netted his first goal of his Colgate career in the 58th minute. The goal originated from a cross junior midfielder Chase Pagani placed perfectly on Sanogo’s chest within close range of the net. Sanogo took a delicate touch with his chest and then finished the ball from close range. The second goal for the Raiders came 20 minutes later from sophomore defender Aram Ouligian after receiving a corner kick from junior midfielder Jared Stroud.

Along with their solid offensive production, Colgate sealed their victory with another stellar defensive performance. 

Coach Ronning appreciated their strong defensive effort after the game. 

“We played very well defensively and didn’t give away a lot of high quality opportunities…It was a good team win and we’re really proud of their effort,” Ronning said. “Everyone who got in the game gave good quality minutes, and we played Colgate soccer today.”  

This is their fourth shutout in their last five games. Currently, senior goalie Ricky Brown is tied for fifth on Colgate soccer’s career shutout list. Along with great play from Brown, the shutout can be attributed to fantastic overall defense. The Saints were held to four shots and none were on frame, making it an easy day for Brown. Meanwhile, pressure was forced on the Siena goalie, with six Colgate shots on net. 

Senior midfielder Nick Le spoke about the momentum this victory provided for their upcoming contests. 

“It was great for us to pick up a win to move to 4-1 and also for us to get another shutout … We’re really happy about the result and how we got it, and are looking forward to two big games next weekend,” Le said.  

Colgate returns home this weekend to take on the University of New Hampshire on Friday, followed by Saint Francis College on Sunday.