CALDWELL, N.J. - Junior forwards Bard Skjelstad (Bodo, Norway) and Uke Dauti (West Orange, NJ/West Orange) each tallied a goal and an assist as the Caldwell College men's soccer team defeated Molloy College 5-1 in a non-conference game Thursday afternoon at Caldwell Field. The Cougars, who hadn't scored more than three goals in a game this season before today, improved to 7-2-1 overall with the win. It was Caldwell's sixth win in seven games.
Junior midfielder Jorge Ibarcena (Lima, Peru), pictured, put the Cougars on the scoreboard in the 23rd minute, when he placed a free kick from 20 yards out into the left corner of the goal. The score remained 1-0 until about three minutes after halftime. Sophomore defender Jan Marco Jiras (Lima, Peru) worked a picture-perfect give-and-go with Skjelstad down the left side, then blasted a shot past Molloy goalkeeper Christian Salvage for his first goal of the season. Skjelstad scored his fifth goal of the season off of assists from Dauti and freshman midfielder Kevoi Walters (Clarendon, Jamaica/Clarendon) in the 62nd minute to make the score 3-0.
Molloy broke up the shutout bid on Dennis Velez's well-placed free kick from 20 yards out in the 71st minute. But the Cougars regained the three-goal advantage when a pass from junior midfielder J.P. Herring (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Reg.) allowed Dauti to get behind the defense and score his team-leading sixth goal of the season. The Cougars were awarded a penalty kick with 20 seconds on the clock when junior Gary Mullings (St. Elizabeth, Jamaica/Munroe) was taken down by Salvage in the penalty area. Senior midfielder Saah Hali (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) converted from the penalty spot to close out the scoring.
Senior goalkeeper Mike Turdo (West Paterson, NJ/Passaic Valley) made one save, albeit an outstanding one on a point-blank shot from 18 yards out, in 68 shutout minutes. Freshman John Plaugic (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) played the final 22 minutes in goal for Caldwell. Salvage finished with four saves for Molloy as the Cougars held a 20-7 advantage in shots.
Next up for the Cougars is a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game at Post University on Saturday, Oct. 8. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m. in Waterbury, Conn.
CC - 1 4 - 5
MC - 0 1 - 1
Scoring Summary: 1. CC - Jorge Ibarcena 1 (unassisted), 22:58. 2. CC - Jan Marco Jiras 1 (Bard Skjelstad), 48:46. 3. CC - Skjelstad 5 (Uke Dauti, Kevoi Walters), 63:15. 4. MC - Dennis Velez (unassisted), 70:50. 5. CC - Dauti 6 (JP Herring), 82:01. 6. CC - Saah Hali 1 (penalty kick), 89:40.
Shots: CC - 20; MC - 7
Saves: CC - Mike Turdo (68:02) 1, John Plaugic (21:58) 0; MC - Christian Salvage 4
Corners: CC - 5; MC - 0
Fouls: CC - 9; MC - 9
Offsides: CC - 2; MC - 1
Cautions: CC - Dauti (19:07); MC - Velez (63:58), Tunstall (87:50)
Ejections: CC - Dauti (82:01); MC - Velez (81:34)
