By Ralph Chery, Contributor | 

The Men’s soccer team lost the lead twice to Lehman College, ending with a 2-2 draw in the double-overtime game, Wednesday night at Randall’s Island.

Kenan Redzematovic put the Beavers on top six minutes into the game, but his goal was matched by Ramone Rowe of Lehman later in the first half. Miguel Muniz notched the go-ahead goal in the 76th minute for CCNT, but Lehman evened it up again when Essosa Aliyu netted six minutes from end of regulation.

The match went to double-overtime. Neither team managed a shot on target, ending the game in a stalemate.

“We shouldn’t had given up goals,” a disappointed Aaron Schoenfelder said after the game. “We should’ve bunkered down like we did against CSI. We got a goal that we didn’t deserve to have against CSI and we still won the game.”

“This time we got two well deserved goals, but we couldn’t hold the defensive shape and gave up a late goal. It’s a good thing that we didn’t give up a winner too.”

CCNY drops to second place in the CUNYAC standings with four points after Wednesday’s outcome. The Beavers also snapped a seven-game winning streak against conference opponents after this, but are still unbeaten in eight consecutive games against other CUNYAC teams.

City played without their defensive leader, Syed Haider, who was out with a calf injury. Senior defender Anthony Scarallo expressed how much the center back’s absence affected their defense against the Lightnings.

“Obviously not having Syed there is a huge loss to the defense,” Scarallo commented. “I had to step back and Aaron [Schoenfelder] had to slide over. But we should’ve been able to deal with it. We made a few mistakes and ended up in a draw.”

The defending conference champions scored the opener with only six minutes on the clock.

Winger Abdul Abdulai made yet another one of his velocious runs down the right flank before looping a cross inside the box. Stephanos Hondrakis connected with Abdulai’s cross and whipped a low-shot across goal. His shot looked as if it was going wide, but Redzematovic charged toward the ball to redirect it in the net.

The Lighting evened out the score in the 24th minute, as Rowe controlled Abdaulaye Bassirou’s pass over the top before hitting the ball beyond Maxwell Berkow in the net.

Midfielder M. Muniz tapped in Abdulai’s corner kick from inside the six-yard box with his right foot in the 77th minute, bringing the score to 2-1, advantage City.

Miguel Muniz celebrates with his teammates after giving City College a 2-1 lead. Photo Credit: Fiifi Ghanney / CCNY Beavers Soccer

The Beavers lost the lead again seven minutes later. Bassirou’s cross found an unmarked Aliyu in the box, who shot the ball past Berkow in the right corner of the net.

The two sides were tied after the full 90, and were on their way to overtime. Schoenfelder was dispirited by City College being unable to put the game away in the regulation.

“We got the first goal each time,” the left back said. “We got the first goal and gave up one, then our second goal should’ve been the game-winning goal but we gave up one pretty late. It was tough to go to overtime, it’s pretty hot. We probably should’ve finished it off earlier.”

CCNY and Lehman played two scoreless overtime periods. City’s best opportunity to score in either overtime came when Redzematovic passed the ball to Hondrakis in the 18. Hondrakis failed to hit the ball as he wanted, sending a weak shot wide in the 94th minute.

Scarallo grieved at missing the opportunity to get their second CUNYAC win of the season.

“At the end of the day it’s a point, but we definitely think we should’ve had three,” the defender said. “It was a tough 110 minutes and we’re still disappointed at the end of the day.”

City will hopes to get the ball rolling, perhaps into the net a few times,  when they take on Baruch College. Baruch sits in fourth place in the CUNYAC standings with three points. In their match-up last season, City emerged victorious, defeating the Bearcats 2-0 in a game played across the river in New Jersey. This season’s installment will take place this Saturday, September 24th, at 2:00 p.m. on Randall’s Island.

*Cover photo by Fiifi Ghanney / CCNY Beavers Soccer