MORELLI MAKES SEASON-BEST 12 SAVES AS MEN'S SOCCER UPENDS STAC, 2-0

Box Score vs. STAC - October 21, 2008

SPARKILL, N.Y. (Oct. 21, 2008) - Senior netminder Ettore Morelli (North Bellmore, N.Y.)stopped a season-high 12 shots, while senior midfielder Michael Topel (Levittown, N.Y.) and sophomore midfielder Mike Marques (Mineola, N.Y.) each added tallies on Tuesday afternoon, sending the Molloy College men's soccer team to a 2-0 shutout against host St. Thomas Aquinas in East Coast Conference action.

Morelli made eight of his stops in the first half, giving Molloy (8-5-2, 3-2-1 ECC) its fourth shutout of the season and moving the Lions' unbeaten streak to three games (2-0-1 record).

Topel provided all of the scoring Molloy would need on the afternoon in the 28th minute, when he beat St. Thomas Aquinas (6-5-3, 0-4-1 ECC) freshman goalkeeper Andrew Tartara (Bardonia, N.Y.) (four saves) for the opening tally of the day off a corner kick by senior Nick D'Alessandro (West Hempstead, N.Y.), giving the visitors a 1-0 advantage.

Marques picked up his first goal of the season in the 65th minute, when his corner kick knocked into the netting after deflecting off a Spartans defender to double Molloy's lead.

Topel, D'Alessandro and sophomore Emmanuel Gamez (Freeport, N.Y.) took two shots apiece on the afternoon for the Lions, while St. Thomas Aquinas senior Gerald Jones (Monroe, N.Y.) placed three of his five efforts on net.

Head coach Danny Longo's team returns to East Coast Conference action Saturday night (Oct. 25), when they play a pivotal 7 p.m. match at Bridgeport - a game that could help determine both teams' respective fate for the four-team ECC Championships (Nov. 5 and 8).