The University of New Haven’s men’s soccer team started their season Friday, Sept. 6 with a home game against the University of Bridgeport. This game was  more personal than others, as was shown on the field. Head coach, Brian Quinn, previously spent 16 years as the head coach for Bridgeport, where he had many successful seasons, including winning three conference tournament titles.

New Haven started the game off strong, scoring the first goal just ten minutes in. Senior, Nate Peduzzi, took a pass from teammate, JP Viruet, to put a nice move on the keeper to get a free shot at the goal and sunk it into the back of the net. The game got physical as both teams were constantly fighting to get position on the other, which resulted in a combined eight yellow cards between the two teams. A penalty in the box by New Haven led to the first goal for the Purple Knights off a penalty kick in the final minute of the first half. New Haven and Bridgeport went into the break tied at one a piece.

The second half kept up the physicality with neither team backing down. Bridgeport struck first in the 58th minute off a free kick from just outside the box. The impressive shot made for a nearly impossible save for the Chargers as the ball sailed into the top right corner of the net. The lead did not last long. In the 64th minute, junior, Estanislao Desseno, sent a corner kick up into the box where it bounced off of multiple players and eventually landed in the net, hitting a Purple Knight for the own goal. With 11 minutes to go in the game, Bridgeport had a golden opportunity to score. They were able to get off two shots in the box, but a save by senior goalkeeper, Stefano Lorusso, and a stop by a New Haven defender kept the ball out of the net; an impressive team effort to keep the Purple Knights from taking on another score. With seven minutes to go in the game, the Chargers had yet another corner kick. Desseno served it up perfectly and junior, Zachary Almonte, came soaring in for a beautiful header that struck gold. The Chargers pulled ahead, 3-2, and never looked back, securing their first victory of the year.