Men’s Soccer Kicks Off to 4-0 Start

David Otero

The C.W. Post men’s soccer team finished the 2010 season in disappointing fashion with an under .500 record of 7-8-2, marking the team’s first losing season in three years. However, the 2011 Pioneers look determined to get back to their 2009 form, the year they finished 12-5 and captured the East Coast Conference Championship Tournament title.

To open up the 2011 campaign, the Pioneers went on the road to face Saint Anselm College. The Pioneers came out of the gate strong and would not be stopped by the overmatched Hawks. Freshman forward Eivind Austboe and sophomore forward Cemil Turan each scored a pair of goals for the Pioneers, and sophomore back Eirik Bjoernoe and sophomore midfielder Jonathon Watkin both netted a goal as well to put the game far out of reach in favor of the Pioneers by a score of 6-1.

The Pioneers brought the confidence and excellent play that they displayed against the Hawks into their next matchup, when they squared up against the Holy Family University Tigers. If you love overtime nail-biters, this game was the perfect game for you to watch. The Pioneers held a 2-1 lead deep into the second half, but the Tigers scratched and clawed their way to even the score up at two goals apiece with just under 1:30 left to play in the game. Both squads would come up empty in the first overtime session, but the Pioneers took control in the second extra session. Cemil Turan nailed the game-winning goal as he dribbled through the Tigers defense to give C.W. Post a thrilling, down-to-the-wire win in its second game of the year.

The Pioneers then returned home to Brookville for their home-opener against the Concordia University Tornados. The Tornados wasted no time on offense, scoring in the third minute of play to take a fast 1-0 lead. That lead would remain until the second half, when Turan scored a goal to even the score at one. The Pioneers weren’t finished yet, though. With just under five minutes in regulation, Austboe scored a goal off a pass from junior forward Andreas Olson. This goal would prove to be the deciding goal. In yet another exhilarating game, the Pioneers’ scoring threats, Austboe and Turan, each scored at least one goal for the third consecutive game to begin the season.

The Pioneers most recent game came on the road against the Dominican College Chargers. In an extremely defensive game by both teams, the Pioneers edged out a 1-0 victory. Austboe had the lone goal for either side, and he now has a team-high of five goals.

The Pioneers have been playing excellent soccer, led by the stellar goalkeeping of sophomore goalie Marco Jorgensen. He is now 4-0 between the pipes, and opposing offenses have had a difficult time getting anything going to start off the young season.

The next game for the undefeated Pioneers comes on September 14th at 3:30 p.m. at the Bentley University Falcons (1-0-1). In their last meeting, the Pioneers won 2-0 on September 10, 2010.