Rhode Island Stingrays Press Release - www.stingraysoccer.com

Saturday, July 18

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Matt Marcin and Toussaint McClure gave Rhode Island an early lead before Westchester leveled it late as the clubs fought and clawed to a physical 2-2 draw Saturday night at Rhode Island College Soccer Field.

Marcin, who recorded his team-high eighth goal of the season in the fifth minute, put the Stingrays up early, while McClure’s first goal of the season in the eighth minute provided an early cushion for the Stingrays. Huigens Garcia halved it in the 71st minute, while Peter Antoniades clinched the equalizer in the 76th minute.

Nine yellow cards and three reds were issued by referee Jan Halaska, who found himself a busy man as the teams tussled often in the midfield.

Although the match would eventually adopt a physical tone, the Stingrays immediately punched the gas on the attack in the fifth minute when Greg Motta blazed down the right and fed it to an unmarked Marcin, who easily chipped it over the reach of Westchester keeper Dario Cabanas.

Goal two arrived three minutes later, when Michael Trobagis collected a loose ball inside the box and sent it to an onrushing McClure, who rifled it through for the eighth minute goal.

Westchester countered with a bit of Route One ball, as they launched a series of long balls down the middle in an attempt to find a quick goal from their striking corps of Jose Dos Santos and John Niyonsaba.

But Stingrays continued to pressure when Trobagis had his eyes on a goal of his own in the 19th minute when he shook his defender and streaked ahead before the sweeper poked the ball away just inside the box.

In the 26th minute, the match took on its chippy appearance when Jose Dos Santos and Jonathan Periera mixed it up following a tough Ryan Kelly tackle on Niyonsaba near the halfway line.

The Flames discovered a chance late in the half when Joseph Posillico caught keeper Kyle Bak off his line and tried to push it thought before Dom Petrarca tackled it away. Abraham Chehebar followed up with a quick shot that skimmed the far post in the 45th minute.

Following a heated exchange with Petrarca, Posillico’s temper got the best of him when he shoved Halaska, warranting the midfielder an immediate ejection and leaving the Flames a man down with a two-goal deficit seconds before the whistle sounded on the first half.

Half Two brought more of the same, as the clubs traded jabs and elbows in the Stingrays offensive third.

Rhode Island nearly added a third goal in the 56th minute when he and a trio of teammates converged upon a single Flame defender before the Petrarca fired a 12-yard drive that clanked the far post. Seconds later, Trobagis followed up with a header that also hit the woodwork.

Despite being shorthanded, Westchester finally came to life in the 71st minute when Antoniades pushed it ahead to Garcia, who went alone on Bak and pushed it through.

Incredibly, terms were leveled only minutes later when Antoniades delivered an incredible 35-yard free kick that sailed high and caught Bak off his line before it bounced into goal in the 76th minute.

But as Niyonsaba picked the ball out of the net, he and Bak exchanged punches in the box as their teammates rushed over to break it up. Halaska separated the players and issued red cards to Niyonsaba and Bak in the 78th minute.

As the waning minutes of regulation evaporated, the plucky Flames nearly went ahead when Dos Santos rushed in and sailed a shot over substitute goalkeeper Jonathan Nydell until it bounced off the bar in stoppage time.