ACPHS Men's Soccer fell to the Berkeley College Knights 5-2 on Friday night, unable to overcome a torrid Berkeley attack. The Panthers are now 5-6 on the season and 1-2 in the HVIAC, while Berkeley improved to 7-4-1 overall and 4-0-0 in the conference.

The scoring got started early in this one, with freshman Ryuji Sugiyama firing the Knights ahead in the 13^th minute. Berkeley freshman Tcharly Verna attempted a shot that freshman goalie Ryan Hobson (Red Hook, NY / Red Hook High School) saved well, but palmed right into the path of Sugiyama, who whistled his effort past the recovering Hobson.

Sugiyama wasn't done, giving Berkeley a two goal advantage just seven minutes later. The Knights received a free kick deep in the Albany half that was taken by sophomore Jovani Guzman and flicked on by sophomore Meshema Charles. Sugiyama was waiting at the back post to tap the ball in for his third goal of the year and second of the game.
This goal kicked off a wild sequence which saw the two teams combined to score three goals in 39 seconds. 16 seconds after Berkeley moved ahead, the Panthers responded through freshman Alex Bleau (Castleton, NY / Maple Hill High School). Bleau's classmate Chuck Middleton (Cicero, NY / Cicero-North Syracuse High School) forced a Berkeley turnover and slid a pass to the left back who rounded Knights keeper Dario Cruz-Sepulveda a passed into an empty net for his second collegiate goal.

23 seconds later, the Knights restored their two goal lead following a quick counter attack that saw Tcharly Verna drill a low shot past Hobson, but the Panthers would again cut the deficit to one before the half was over. Junior Austin Myers (Morrisonville, NY / Saranac High) put a shot on goal that was saved by Cruz-Sepulveda, but Berkeley's clearance attempt fell right back to the winger, who calmly buried his fifth goal of the year. The Panthers went into the half down one, fortunately after being outshot 13-5 in the opening 45 minutes.

The second half was not a kind one for the Panthers, as they were stifled offensively and conceded twice. Freshman Amadou Sy powered the Knights ahead in the 60^th minute after Hobson made a few clutch saves to keep the Panthers in it. Myers had a chance to get a goal back in the 66^th minute, but his effort glanced off the post and out for a goal kick. With Albany committing men forward in search of a comeback, Berkeley freshman Anthony Mejia found space in behind the Panther defense in the 83^rd minute and put in the Knights' fifth and final goal. In the end, ACPHS was outshot 19-10, with Hobson making nine saves in the losing effort.

Next up for the Panthers is a trip to the King's College on Sunday, October 14^th.