The New York University men's soccer team opened its 2026 home slate with a 3-1 win over Hunter College on Wednesday night, September 2, at Lubetkin Field in Newark, NJ.
NYU jumped on the attack early, controlling possession throughout the opening minutes of the match. The Violets pushed play into Hunter's defensive end, creating several early opportunities around the net while applying consistent pressure to the Hawks' back line.
But, in the 17th minute of play, Hunter struck first. A shot from just outside the box by Hawks' Yassine Jaballah slipped underneath NYU goalkeeper Gabino Talisayon and into the back of the net, giving the Hawks a 1-0 advantage.
That was all the scoring for Hunter, as a late first-half barrage put NYU in the lead for good.
On a corner-kick opportunity in the 35th minute, the ball was crossed into the middle of the box and initially struck the post. NYU's Tim Brdaric controlled the rebound and buried the shot into the back of the net, pulling the Violets level at 1-1.
Momentum began to shift in NYU's favor as the opening half entered its closing minutes. The Violets continued to apply pressure in the attacking third, looking to take their first lead of the night before the break.
"We overcame an early goal. No one panicked," Head Coach Kim Wyant said. "We really grew into the game, creating a lot of problems for the opposition."
NYU wasted little time finding another breakthrough. In the 37th minute, Keyon Namdar delivered a free kick into the box, where Demir Calkap connected with a header and directed the ball into the back of the net, giving the Violets a 2-1 advantage.
The Violets continued to apply pressure on their attacking momentum. In the 41st minute, Calkap found the back of the net once again, burying another header past the Hawks' goalkeeper off an assist from Mark Shields to extend the Violets' lead to 3-1.
The Violets carried their momentum into the second half, remaining composed on the defensive end and preventing Hunter from finding a way back into the match.
"I felt the overall team performance was very good tonight," Wyant added. "We created a lot of chances to score through a very solid defense and excellent goalkeeping, so I was very pleased overall with the performance."
The Violets return to the pitch when they face Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA, this Saturday at 1pm.
