Harry Cohen
The Rangers continued their magical season, last Tuesday with yet another win over the Susquehanna University River Hawks in the Landmark Conference Semifinals. Their win avenged last year’s bitter loss to the River Hawks in the same semifinal game which saw Drew lose in a stunner and Susquehanna celebrate on the turf of Ranger Stadium. Coach Lenny Armuth and his team was sure to not only win but send a message to the River Hawks by winning in what can only be described as a blowout.
Drew showed off their depth and versatility with their first two goals. The first came from Matt Asante (‘20), who didn’t start the game but was able to find the back of the net and break the ice for Drew. The second came from defender Marlon Rodriguez (‘19) on a corner kick for the Rangers. The Rangers would go on to put in two more goals in the second half scored by Anthony McMyne (‘19) and Alexi Velasquez (‘19), holding the lead at 4. Goalie Jason Adamo (‘20) racked up 7 saves in what became his 10th shutout of the season.
To say that this Drew team has been impressive this year would be an understatement. They have been amazing; one might ask “how amazing?”, and the answer is record breaking. This is the first year in Drew’s history that the men’s soccer team has gone undefeated throughout their entire schedule, surpassing the famous 2003 team which made it all the way to the NCAA DIII title game. Their current winning streak of 15 straight games is also approaching the record set in 2002 of 19. Lastly, this is the 6th time that Drew has gone undefeated in conference play, and the 5th time that they’ve done it under Coach Lenny Armuth.
The Rangers will be playing for the Landmark Conference Championship on Saturday against Elizabethtown right here at Ranger Stadium at 2 p.m. They will seek to hoist the Landmark trophy for the first time since a decade ago when Drew entered the Conference in 2007.
What to Watch for
Forward Asante has been the Rangers best offensive weapon not in the starting eleven. He’s come off the bench throughout the season to inject life and goals into the offense when things seem to be off to a sluggish start. He did so again against Susquehanna scoring the first goal of the game just seconds after entering and adding an assist later on in the second half. What will be interesting is how Asante is used for the remainder of the Postseason as Aiden Cserhat (‘20) and Andy Imoh (‘20) have been the go-to forwards for Coach Lenny Armuth, both of whom did not score on Tuesday. Although, those two have played a part in the Ranger’s success, if they can’t find the score sheet soon, look for Asante to take on a more visible role in this Rangers offense.
