Molyneaux Bags Brace in Men's Soccer Loss

Molyneaux Bags Brace in Men's Soccer Loss

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Two spectacular goals by Justin Molyneaux were not enough for the Ursinus College men's soccer team in a 3-2 non-conference defeat to Stockton on Wednesday night.

Molyneaux came into the game with two career goals on his ledger, but left with double that at the end of a tense thriller. The first was a howitzer of a right-footed volley off a loose ball from about 25 yards, a searing top-shelf strike that opened the scoring in the 28th minute.

Stockton (6-5-1) nipped an equalizer just before halftime as Villy Fortulus' low shot bounded just put of the reach of sophomore keeper Matthew Kenwood, who made his first start of the season. The Ospreys took the lead on Eucario Solano's back header off a free kick in the 58th minute and made it 3-1 when Ervin Gjeli ripped a free kick into the top right corner of the net in the 81st.

Molyneaux, however, gave the Bears (0-8-2) a life line with just under five minutes to play, directing a free kick under the wall and into the lower left corner of the twine to cut the Ospreys' lead to one. Ursinus pushed hard for a game-tying goal but was unable to generate another chance.

The first career brace for Molyneaux pushed him into a tie with sophomore Braden Burns for the team lead.

The Bears had plenty of close calls in the second stanza. Burns stung the palms of Stockton goalie Michael Lescano in the 65th minute, and sophomore Jake Fernandez dragged a bounding effort just wide of the left post in the 70th. Fernandez had another chance in the 79th, but his impressive volley attempt sailed just wide of the right post.

Ursinus was outshot, 15-10, for the night but the attempts were even at 8-apiece after halftime and the Bears took six corners to the Ospreys' four.

Lescano made two saves for Stockton, while Kenwood finished with three.

The Bears get back into Centennial Conference play with a road tilt at No. 5 Franklin & Marshall on Saturday.