WASHINGTON - In a driving rain on an unseasonably cool Saturday afternoon, Gallaudet University battled back against College of Saint Elizabeth to score three second-half goals and win the men's soccer home opener, 3-1, at Hotchkiss Field.

Gallaudet (1-2, 1-0 NEAC) trailed just eight minutes into the game when St. Elizabeth (1-3, 0-1 NEAC) got on the scoreboard after a 30-yard goal scored by Raul Galindo Rojas off an assist from Billy Amaya. The Eagles held onto that 1-0 lead as the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) teams went into halftime.

The Bison came out poised and focused in the second half.

Freshman forward Chad Johnson (Gardena, Calif.) was inserted into the lineup to begin the final 45 minutes of regulation and he provided a spark to the Bison offense. Johnson recorded a shot in the 54th minute that was saved by goalie Brian Hernandez and three minutes later Johnson assisted sophomore Alton Markel (Buda, Texas) on his first goal of the season. Markel's first collegiate goal tied the game at 1-1 at the 56:33 mark.

Gallaudet continued to pepper the Eagles goal with shots and pressured the St. Elizabeth defense for the entire second half.

The Bison got a break when St. Elizabeth was called for a foul inside the goalie box as GU was awarded a penalty kick. Sophomore defender Sean O'Callaghan (San Diego, Calif.) took the free kick and blasted a hard shot past a diving Hernandez to give GU the lead.

GU put the game away in the 83rd minute with an insurance goal when Johnson netted his first collegiate goal off an assist from fellow freshman Dylan Christoffels (Methuen, Mass.).

Freshman goalie Shane Angel (Mechanicsville, Md.) recorded his first collegiate victory as he made two saves in the win.

BISON TRACKS

• GU held a 12-9 edge in shots with eight second-half shots
• The Bison took four corner kicks
• Both goalies made two saves

UP NEXT
Gallaudet will travel to Southern Virginia University (0-4) on Wednesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m.