MAHWAH, NJ— The St. Thomas men's soccer team dropped a close 2–1 decision on the road against Ramapo College at the Athletic Center-Turf. Both teams battled through a high-energy, physical game, but two second-half goals by the Roadrunners made the difference. With the result, the Celts now hold a 2–3–1 overall record on the season.
The first half was a defensive battle as both teams fought for momentum in the midfield. Goalkeeper Max Rodriguez made two key saves in the opening 45 minutes to keep Ramapo off the board. Aldo Hernandez, Diego Guerra, and Dillon Trimble created early scoring chances for the Celts, but the match remained scoreless at halftime.
Action picked up quickly in the second half when Ramapo broke the tie in the 48th minute (47:58) to take a 1–0 lead. St. Thomas answered right back just three minutes later (50:41) as Brian Garcia scored an unassisted goal to level the game at 1–1. However, the Roadrunners regained the lead in the 57th minute (56:50) to make it 2–1. The Celts pushed hard for a game-tying goal late in the half, generating late shot attempts from Tony Castro, Diego Martinez, and Brian Garcia, but Ramapo's defense held on for the final score.
St. Thomas finished the night with 12 total shots and put 5 of them on goal. Goalkeeper Max Rodriguez played nearly the full match in net for the Celts, recording 5 saves in a strong performance.
Match Notes:
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Goals: Brian Garcia (51')
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Assists: None
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Shots: UST 12 (5 on goal), RCNJ 14 (7 on goal)
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Saves: UST 5 (Max Rodriguez 5), RCNJ 4
Up Next: The Celts continue their trip in New Jersey as they head to Newark, NJ to face Kean University on Sunday, September 27 at 12:00 PM CT (1:00 PM ET). Follow the team at www.ustcelts.com or on Instagram @ustathletics and @ustmsoccer for game times, live stream links, and updates.
