Box Score
ACPHS couldn't break the Union defense in the rain Tuesday night, as they were shutout by their NCAA opponent 3-0. Union remained undefeated at 3-0, while the Panthers fell to 1-1.
 
Union came out swinging in this one, having the lion's share of both possession and chances in the first half. The Dutchman broke the deadlock in the 11^th minute, when defender Kienan Smith floated a long ball over the ACPHS defense. Playing a high line, the Panthers hoped for an offside flag that never came. Union's Ethan Strauss picked up the ball, shrugged off a defender, and blasted a right-footed past senior goalkeeper Matt Houlihan (Levittown, NY / Kellenberg Memorial High School).
 
The sequence that would decide the game however, came with ten minutes to go in the half. Sophomore Austin Myers (Morrisonville, NY / Saranac High) rolled a ball across the 18-yard box, which senior Jack Hanlon (Guilderland, NY / Guilderland High School) let run through his legs and set up perfectly for senior Kyle Jenkins (Holbrook, NY / Sachem East High School) to hit. The midfielder got plenty of power behind the shot, but sailed it just over the net. The ensuing breakaway led to the Panthers' defense giving up a foul just outside their own penalty area, which Union's Salvador Lopez Jr. promptly tucked away to give the Dutchman a 2-0 lead.
 
Sealing Albany's fate was sophomore Edward Ahanmisi's (Vancouver, BC / Bodwell High) 2^nd yellow card just inside the last minute of the 1^st half, leaving the Panthers a man down for the rest of the game. Jenkins came close again in the 2^nd half with a free kick that slammed off the crossbar, but ACPHS was unable to create any more high-percentage chances. The Dutchman's Omar Al Homsi netted his 2^nd goal of the year with 10 minutes left in regulation, making the final score 3-0.
 
ACPHS turns around quickly this weekend, as they travel to SUNY-Delhi on Saturday, September 9^th at 1pm.