Sinanis featured in Connecticut's "The Day" newspaper
Men's soccer record book
CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Lesley University (3-2-2) overcame an Emerson (2-4-0) goal in the opening minutes for a 2-1 win over the Lions in the Seventh Annual Charles River Cup Wednesday night at Edward Field.
Lynx senior Ari Sinanis (Guilford, CT/Guilford) broke Lesley's all-time points record with 82 on the game-winning assist to Darius Koep (Pittstown, NJ/Del-Val) in the 38th minute as the Lynx captured a fourth straight cup in the rubber match of the series.
The Lions struck in the fourth minute, when Jacob Lawrence (Clifton, VA/Centerville) took an indirect kick in the left corner. The forward spotted fellow senior Juan Ossa (Bogota, Columbia/American Heritage) inside the keeper box from eight yards away, where Ossa struck a one-timer past Lynx goalie Nathan Trucks.
Lesley answered with the equalizer at 22:27, when a long Sean Randall (Fremont, CA/Washington High) throw-in sailed into the middle of the keeper box and was fielded by Ahmed Abubakar (Springfield, VA/Robert E. Lee). A leaping Abubakar headed the ball to Jonathan Jones Takano (Tokyo, Japan/Bunker Hill CC), who tapped a shot past keeper Carter Bowers inside the right post.
The Lynx took the lead on Sinanis' record-breaking assist, which he sent back on to a sprinting Koep on a 2-on-1 break. Koep crushed his third score of the year into the top right of the net, marking the third straight home match he's scored on a Sinanis assist and giving Lesley the 2-1 lead.
A fine defensive play from head coach Paul Vasconcelos' back line kept the Lynx lead in tact through half. Off of an Emerson corner kick, Lions forward Adam Halliday struck a header that looked destined for the inside of the right post, but Lynx freshman Chris Hunt (San Diego, CA/Rancho Bernardo) stepped in front of the shot with a header of his own to knock the attempt outside the post as the horn sounded.
Emerson outshot Lesley 6-4 and earned three corner kicks to only one for the Lynx through the first 45. The Lions highest quality opportunity of the second half came at 81:12, when Patrick Lowndes leaped for a header off a long cross from just inside midfield, but the shot took one bounce and was caromed by Trucks, who overcame the early goal to up his second win.
Trucks (Guilford, CT/Guilford) made four saves in improving to 2-1-1 on the year. Bowers, meanwhile, made two saves for the Lions, which outshot Lesley 9-7 for the game.
Winners of three of four, Lesley returns to play on Saturday, opening New England Collegiate Conference play at 3:00 p.m. at Southern Vermont.