BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The University of Hartford men's soccer team opened its 2025 season in style with a commanding 4-1 victory over the St. Joseph's University Brooklyn Bears on Friday afternoon.
Rapid Recap:
The Bears struck first as Alexander Kudrick finished a through ball from Francesco Di Paolo in just the sixth minute, putting Hartford on its heels in the early moments. The Hawks kept their composure, maintaining possession and challenging the Bears defense with multiple chances for equalizers as they moved through the first half. Junior Austin Murawski (Rocky Hill, Conn.) shot out top right to switch gears for the Hawks and build their offensive power. The other Hawks to take chances were sophomore Cameron Tedesco (Old Saybrook, Conn.) and senior Nick Castrovinci (Roxbury, N.J.). Despite the pressure, Hartford closed out the first trailing 1-0.
The Hawks wasted no time flipping the script in the second half. Just four minutes after kick-off sophomore Brayden Tahiliani (Whitby, Ontario) showcased his skills, slotting home the equalizer to spark the Hartford offense to take back this game. Sophomore Jaiden Daigle (Rocky Hill, Conn.) took back the lead for the team as he buried a perfect ball off an assist from Murawski. Daigle claiming his first collegiate goal in a Hartford uniform, 2-1. From there, the game intensified the teams exchanged 2 yellow cards in the next 15 minutes after this goal, one card for each. Hartford was unfazed as Tedesco delivered a composed finish in the 79th minute, stretching the advantage to 3-1. Freshman Joe Ofori-Mintah (Manchester, Conn.) capped off the Hawks dominant performance with his first collegiate goal from a clever feed by Castrovinci to seal a statement victory, 4-1.
Post Game Press:
"We were down 1-0 and needed someone to get the team going," said sophomore Brayden Tahiliani (Whitby, Ontario). "I put one in the back of the net and the team showed great determination to battle back. My teammates stepped up to help close this game out."
Inside the Numbers:
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The Hawks out shot the Bears 19-2 with 15 in just the second half, 8-1 on net.
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All goal scorers in today's match-ups were their first-time collegiate goals. Sophomore Cameron Tedesco (Old Saybrook, Conn.), Freshman Joe Ofori-Mintah (Manchester, Conn.) sophomore Jaiden Daigle (Rocky Hill, Conn.), and defender Brayden Tahiliani (Whitby, Ontario) claimed his to kick-off the Hartford scoring frenzy.
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Alexander Kudrick for the Bears also claimed his first collegiate goal in this season opener.
Up Next:
The Hawks travel to New London, Conn. to take on Connecticut College this Tuesday, September 2nd at 4:00 p.m.
