ANNANDALE, N.Y. - From the coaching staff on down to each and every player, including the last one on the bench, the Liberty League games are the ones that matter to the Bard College men's soccer team.
Still, it must be nice to hear that this year's team is off to the best start in the history of the program.
The Raptors improved to 3-0-1 with a workmanlike 6-0 romp over York College on Saturday, in the first meeting between the schools. No team at Bard has ever been undefeated after four games, including the 2001 squad which finished the year 14-1.
That said, Saturday's game was a mismatch from the start.
Nick Shenberger rifled a cross to
Brendan Byrne in the third minute, and he roofed the shot to make it 1-0. About eight minutes later the same two did it again to make it 2-0, and it became 3-0 when
David Mamukelashvili was unmarked right in front, and Shenberger found him for his third assist in 22 minutes.
Emlyn Ellerby,
Claudio Mastrocinque and
Denesh Kandiah each scored in the second half, after a 30-minute delay for thunder right before halftime and a deluge.
Bard outshot York, 28-9, but
Daniel Gagne did have to make a couple of stellar saves for the Raptors, who are one game into an eight-game homestand. They next host Sage on Wednesday night, and you follow that game right here via Live Stats or Live Video.
