ELMIRA, NY- The Keystone College men's soccer team battled throughout a 90-minute road contest Saturday afternoon at Elmira College, creating several offensive opportunities and putting together a strong second-half push before falling to the Soaring Eagles, 2-0.
The Giants came out aggressively, earning three corner kicks in the opening half while creating several early chances. Marcos Louzada (Guacui, Espirito Santo, Brazil/The Webb School) and Joel Calle (Hicksville, NY/Hicksville) each put shots on target during the opening minutes, but Elmira goalkeeper Adam Stromberg turned both attempts away.
Keystone continued to generate opportunities throughout the opening half, finishing the period with three shots and three corner kicks. In goal, James Kallens (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central Regional) helped keep the Giants within striking distance, making two saves during the opening 45 minutes.
Elmira took a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute, but Keystone continued to compete and look for an equalizer heading into halftime.
The Giants came out with renewed pressure in the second half, recording six shots and three corner kicks over the final 45 minutes. Hodge-Davila put an early shot on frame just over three minutes into the half, forcing another save from Stromberg.
Keystone continued to push offensively throughout the second half. Louzada added another shot, while Cummings, Calle and Richards each created additional opportunities as the Giants looked to cut into the deficit.
Kallens continued to anchor the Keystone defense, making five second-half saves to finish the afternoon with seven total stops. His seven saves marked a strong performance in goal as he helped the Giants remain within reach throughout the second half.
Hodge-Davila led the Giants offensively with four shots, including two on goal. Louzada followed with three shots and one shot on target, while Calle recorded two shots with one on goal. Cummings and Richards each added a pair of shots.
Overall, Keystone finished with nine shots, including four on goal, and earned six corner kicks. The Giants generated three corners in each half while continuing to create opportunities against the Soaring Eagles' defense.
Elmira added its second goal just 1:06 into the second half, but Keystone continued to battle and generated multiple chances during the remainder of the contest.
