BROOKVILLE, N.Y. - The Stony Brook University men's soccer team fell to LIU, 2-1, in the 2024 season opener on the road on Thursday evening. Following the result, the Seawolves drop to 0-1-0 to start the year.
 
The Sharks got scoring underway in the 41^st minute of action when Tal Levy found the back of the net, flicking a shot into the bottom left corner. LIU would then capitalize on their lead in the 57^th minute with a through ball goal from Stephane Njike. Both rookies would be a difference maker in the win, tallying a goal apiece in their collegiate debuts.
 
Stony Brook later closed the gap as Finlay Oliver notched a goal in the 87^th minute off a free kick opportunity from Trevor Harrison. With only three minutes remaining in regulation, the Seawolves were unable to score an equalizer, capping the game at 2-1.
 
STATS AND NOTES
 

• Rushon Sandy totaled five saves for the Seawolves out of 12 total Sharks shots.
• Oliver led the team with four shots and the lone goal, while Jonas Bickus and Harrison added three each.
• Six players went the full 90 minutes: Sean Towey, Lorenzo Selini, Bas Beckhoven, Alex Fleury, Bickus, and Sandy.
• Stony Brook out-shot LIU 18-12 with the Sharks having an 8-7 edge in shots on goal.
• The Seawolves and Sharks met in the season opener for the fourth consecutive season, with LIU getting the better of Stony Brook for the third straight year. Stony Brook moves to 2-7-1 all-time against LIU.

 
QUOTES FROM THE SEAWOLVES
 
"We battled hard in our first game, on the road, and while the 2-1 loss is disappointing, there are a lot of positives to take away," head coach Ryan Anatol stated postgame. "We created some really good goal-scoring chances and showed great fight by sticking together until the final whistle. However, we need to be sharper in front of goal and eliminate those costly mistakes at critical moments. There's definitely room for improvement, but I'm confident we will build in this performance moving forward."
 
NEXT UP
 
The Seawolves look for their first win of 2024 this Sunday when they travel to St. John's for a 7:30 p.m. start. Sunday's match will be streamed live on FloFC. This will be just the third meeting between the two programs, as Stony Brook has gone 0-1-1 against the Red Storm.
 
For an inside look at the Stony Brook men's soccer program, be sure to follow it on Facebook, X and Instagram.