Nights Like this, I’m a Knight Like This

  Tuesday’s men’s soccer game versus the Rochester Yellowjackets was something to see: the match, going into two overtime periods, left everyone in the stands on the edge of their seats. These boys held their own and didn’t give up—something us Knights take pride in. 

During the first half you could see Rochester was giving it their all. They were coming in strong. Within the first 15 minutes of the game, the Yellowjackets scored on a penalty kick, giving them the advantage and making the score 1-0 Rochester. 

Seeing the effort that junior midfielder Justin Arilotta was putting in during this period was astonishing. The Yellowjackets couldn’t stand a chance as junior forward Ryan Hilke came in strong on a breakaway but was shut down by Rochester’s defense, leaving the fans content knowing that their goal wasn't going to put our boys down. Arilotta came in hot, scoring over the goalie’s head and making the score a 1-1 tie to end the first half. 

The second half is where the game started to get spicy. Both teams came in hard, bringing fierceness, while parents cheered on their sons and the student section roared their hearts out for our team. 

Hilke started with the ball in the second half. The boys on both teams ripped shots on the net. Suspense and adrenaline pumped through the stadium. 

Junior forward Eren Aydin pushed hard and put in the hard work. Sophomore goalkeeper Alex Lopez made impressive saves left and right. Towards the end of this half, the boys were going back and forth, playing strong on both sides. 

As the teams headed into OT the Knights brought the same energy that they had in the second half. Lopez pushed it to the limit to keep the ball out of the net. Heading into the second half, the game got more berserk with yellow cards being thrown around. The Yellowjackets did not give up the fight, bringing the game to an ending tie of 1-1. 

To end the night, freshman defensemen Caden Kress did an interview with the Lamron. “Being a freshman on a college level team, there is a difference of coming from playing on a high school team, a completely contrasting atmosphere and game”, said Kress. 

It took him a minute to get adjusted, but his teammates were very welcoming towards him. Not feeling any pressure to prove themselves, they see each other as equals. Even though there is some pressure during practices to compete and earn a spot, at the end of the day they are all family. 

After playing an interesting game, going down early, the boys showed that they can come back strong, face adversity and leave the game with their heads held high. Kress was impressed by how the boys played today, showing that they are fit and that they can keep up with anything after a big game. 

Kress’s favorite part of soccer is the competitive spirit that comes along with it. He loves the competition, so doing that every day is enjoyable to him. Not being a huge breakfast fan, Kress starts his day off with a Nature Valley granola bar, drinking lots of water and a light salad for lunch. Junior goalkeeper Will Price oversees aux in the boy’s locker room to play EDM music to get these boys hype to get their head in the game. Kress truly enjoys the game, and his enthusiasm creates for a spectacular match.

We look forward to seeing you at the next men’s soccer game at Geneseo on October 2nd at 1PM versus Brockport.