La Plume, Pa. –
Talhah Netherlin (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) and
Chiemeka Okoro (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) scored two goals apiece help Keystone College overcome an early two-goal deficit and defeat visiting Berkeley College (N.Y.) 4-2 in a non-conference men's soccer game on Monday afternoon. The Giants improve to 3-2 with their third straight victory.
Berkeley (1-1) opened the just 5:21 into Monday's contest when Matthew Perreira stole the ball from a Keystone defender and placed a shot into the right side of the net from the top of the penalty area to give the Knights a 1-0 advantage.
Berkeley doubled their lead in the 17
th minute when Jean-Gardy Derineau scored from close range after taking a thru-ball from Perreira with Meshema Charles also picking up an assist on the visitor's second goal.
Keystone got on the board in the 24
th minute when Netherlin scored by one-touching home a cross from
Carlos Bonilla (Clermont, Fla./East Ridge), who picked up his second assist of the season on the tally.
The Giants knotted the game up at 2-2 in the 43
rd minute when Okoro ran onto a long ball played over top of the Berkeley defense by
Jalen Freeman (Westampton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional) and blasted home a shot from 10 yards out.
The score remained tied at two-apiece at halftime with Keystone holding a 17-5 advantage in shots over the opening 45 minutes of play.
Keystone claimed its first lead of the afternoon in the 57
th minute as Netherlin converted a penalty kick for his second marker of the contest to give the Giants a 3-2 edge.
Okoro gave the hosts an insurance goal in the 78
th minute by battling to finish off a ball that was misplayed by the Berkeley defense for his second tally of the game and fourth in the last two contests as the Giants claimed a 4-2 lead.
Steven Heintz, Jr. (Ardsley, Pa./Abington) picked up the win in goal by making three saves while Ronnie Roman turned aside 14 shots for Berkeley.
The Giants held a 25-9 advantage in shots for the game including an 18-5 lead in shots on goal. The host also claimed a 5-3 edge in corner kick chances on the day.
Keystone returns to action on Saturday afternoon with a non-conference game at Penn State Altoona starting at 2:00 p.m.