Langhorne, PA –
Franklin Villatoro (Germantown, MD/Clarksburg) and
Aadil Mendez (Bartonsville, PA/Pocono Mountain East) scored second half goals to break a 1-1 tie and give Keystone College a 3-1 victory over Cairn University in Colonial States Athletic Conference men's soccer action on Saturday afternoon. The Giants, who also got a goal and an assist from
Julio Pertuz (Caracas, Venezuela/EU Noestra Senora de las Mercedes) and two helpers from
Eddy Enowbi (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook), improve to 8-4 overall this season while leveling their conference record at 2-2.
Keystone's eight wins this fall to date are the most by a Giants' team since the 2004 squad posted an 11-9-1 record.
Pertuz opened the scoring in the 30
th minute of Saturday's contest by being on the receiving end of an Enowbi cross and depositing the ball past Highlanders' goalkeeper Caleb Pancoast for the game's first goal and the senior's fourth tally of the season. The visitors looked to take the one-goal lead into halftime, but Cairn (1-10-1, 0-5 CSAC) had other ideas as a long pass from Kenneth Mercedante freed Craig Kikendall behind the Giants' defense for the equalizing tally with just 27 seconds left in the first half.
In the second half, Keystone was able to break the tie in the 75
th minute when a shot by Villatoro deflected off of a defender for the Highlanders and into the back of the net to give the Giants a 2-1 edge. Enowbi picked up his second assist of the game and fifth of the season on Villatoro's third goal of his freshman campaign.
Just moments later, Mendez added insurance goal for Keystone, netting his third goal of the season off of a Pertuz assist on a free kick as the Giants would pull away with the 3-1 victory on the road.
Keystone held a 12-10 edge in shots for the game including a 7-3 advantage in shots on goal. The Giants also generated seven corner kicks on the afternoon to just two for the Highlanders.
Anthony Cutillo (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) picked up his fifth win in goal of the season for Keystone after making two stops on the day while Pancoast suffered the loss while making four saves for Cairn.
Keystone will return to action next Saturday when they host defending CSAC champion Centenary College in a conference tilt scheduled to kickoff at 5:30 p.m. on Keystone's turf field in La Plume.