Box Score Kings Point (N.Y) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy men's soccer team extended their unbeaten streak to 12 games with a convincing 2-0 win upstate against the Purchase College Panthers.  With the win, the Mariners improved to 6-4-7 (5-0-5 Skyline) while the Panthers fell to 7-7-1 (3-6-1 Skyline).

Merchant Marine caged the Panthers' number-one ranked Skyline offense for all 90 minutes by limiting Purchase to nine shots, only five of which were on goal.  Freshman phenom Ermin Mackic, who leads the Skyline Conference in shots, goals, assists, and points, was shut down by head coach Drew McCarthy and his defense.  Averaging seven shots per game, Mackic was held to five total shots and three on goal. 

The Mariners' man-to-man style of defense worked wonders once again as Panthers not named Ermin Mackic combined for three total shots and two on goal.  Senior goalkeeper Ashton Carey (Pasadena, Md.) was the benefactor of his team's strong defensive play as he collected his second straight shutout.  Carey stopped all five shots that came his way in route to laying a goose egg in Purchase's goal column.

On offense, the Mariners played a smart road game and controlled the possession battle.  For the fourth consecutive contest Kings Point fired 15 or more shots.  As the saying goes, offense is the best defense as USMMA outshot the Panthers 23-9 for the game.

Merchant Marine used their heads on offense literally as well.  In a near carbon copy of his goal on Tuesday against the Golden Eagles, sophomore Billy Castoro (Garden City, N.Y.) once again headed home a corner kick for senior Miguel Millan (Lake Travis, Texas) on a perfect redirection into the net.  At the 15:10 mark, Castoro's third tally of 2023 put the Mariners on top 1-0.

With the lead in hand, USMMA kept their foot on the gas offensively.  Kings Point outshot Purchase 14-2 in the first half while leading 4-1 in the shots on goal department after 45 minutes.  Coach McCarthy's team looked like they were playing by the motto "if the other team does not score, they cannot win."

As the game shifted to half number two, the Mariners withstood the Panthers' adjustments.  Purchase ripped off three shots on goal in a span of eight and half minutes.  The one common theme?  All three shots saved by Carey were down low. 
After Carey denied Mackic for the second of three times, the Mariners' offense once again used their heads 46 seconds later.

Doing his best Billy Castoro impersonation, junior Derek Vanasse (Camarillo, Calif.) headed home another perfectly placed corner kick by Millan.  Vanasse redirected Millan's corner into the top left corner of the net at 69:52 for his fourth goal of the year.  In front 2-0, the Mariners locked down the win by that same score.

USMMA's win was their sixth straight over the Panthers dating back to 2016.  For the second straight year, it was Castoro who collected the game-winner against the Panthers.  In 2022, Castoro knocked in the game-winner off a Vanasse throw in with 8:49 remaining.

Up next for the Mariners is the regular season finale.  USMMA will travel back to Long Island to try and cage another set of Panthers in Old Westbury.  Game time is set for Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 3:30 P.M.