John Jay soccer falls just short in loss to Pleasantville

CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - After opening the season with back-to-back wins, John Jay returned home on Monday, Sept. 8, looking to make it three straight. But an early miscue proved costly, and despite a strong push late, the Wolves came up short in a 3-2 loss to Pleasantville.

The game turned almost immediately. Just 19 seconds in, a turnover in John Jay’s defensive zone left goalkeeper Marc Fein scrambling. Pleasantville’s Danny McInerny won the loose ball and tucked it into the empty net, setting the tone for the night.

The Panthers kept up the pressure. Nicholas Tassier and Stephen O’Leary both fired dangerous chances through the crease, and only a timely save by Alejandro Pineda kept O’Leary off the board at the 32-minute mark. Moments later, McInerny nearly struck again, breaking free at midfield before his pass to Garvin Kayizzi rolled too long.

John Jay finally generated offense when Finn Fothergill worked into space on the left side, though his shot sailed wide. Pleasantville quickly responded with another surge, and with 14 minutes left in the half, Jonah Aghen capitalized on a John Jay turnover in front of the net to make it 2-0.

The Wolves’ defense steadied to close the half, highlighted by stops from Will Green and Pineda to keep the deficit manageable.

That resilience carried over after the break. Early in the second half, Fein’s deflection left an open net, but Pineda hustled across the goalmouth to clear the ball away. The effort sparked John Jay’s attack. Off a throw-in, Alex Bond worked the goal line with no angle to shoot but still managed to beat Pleasantville keeper Joe Pecararo, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

Pleasantville quickly answered. With 24:33 remaining, Kayizzi chased down a ball in the corner and crossed to Aghen, who buried his second goal of the game to restore the two-goal cushion at 3-1.

John Jay refused to fold. Bond sent a cross to Dennis Galvan, who settled and fired from 10 yards out to bring the Wolves within 3-2 with just over seven minutes left. The duo nearly connected again in the closing minutes, but Galvan’s collision with Pecararo allowed the Panthers’ keeper to smother the chance and preserve the win.

Despite the loss, John Jay showed grit in battling back from an early hole. The Wolves move to 2-1 on the season and will look to rebound in their next outing.