(New York, NY) – Senior Arie Blum (Santiago, Chile/Ner Israel) scored a goal during the highest YU offensive output in more than two years, and junior Daniel Rosenthal (Panama City, Panama/IAE) made 21 saves but the Yeshiva University Men's Soccer team open the 2008 season with a 14-3 loss to 2007 CUNY Champion, York College on Thursday night at Tibbetts Brook Park in Yonkers, New York.
York College (1-1) scored four times during a 6:33 span midway through the first half to all but put the game away as the 2007 NCAA Tournament participants used a speedy and fierce attack to overwhelm the Yeshiva defense. However, after the initial Cardinal outburst, the Maccabees did respond with several close calls on the offensive end, and YU took eight of the final 11 shots of the opening half but trailed 6-0 at halftime.
After York scored twice during the opening eight minutes of the second half to make it 8-0, Yeshiva's offense responded. At 55:39, junior Nisan Shayestehfrouz (Forest Hills, NY/Great Neck North) converted a gorgeous feed from sophomore Zachary Stern (Columbus, OH/Columbus Torah Academy) to put the Maccabees on the board. After a York goal at 63:06 to make it 9-1, Stern advanced on a breakaway past the York defense, and a trip from behind gave Yeshiva a penalty kick, which Blum converted with a low rocket to make it 9-2. York scored twice in a 90-second span to make it 13-2, but Yeshiva responded at 70:43 when freshman Aryeh Rosenberg (Anterp, Belgium/Jesode Hatorah) finished a Tal Scher (Wilmette, IL/Rabbi Riff Yeshiva) crossing pass to give YU its first three-goal game in more than two years.
Stern was outstanding, starting several YU scoring opportunities, and taking a team-high seven shots. Rosenthal also enjoyed a solid game in net despite playing under siege throughout the games as the junior stopper made 10 saves in the first half, and 11 more during the final 45 minutes.
Overall, York outshot YU 55-17.
Yeshiva returns to action on Sunday, Sept. 7 when they travel to Brooklyn, New York to face Polytechnic Institute of NYU at 12:00 p.m. The Skyline Conference game will be played at Aviator Field.
