Oct. 20, 2011

BRONX, N.Y. - The Lehman men's soccer team closed out the regular season in style on Wednesday night, defeating Berkeley (NY) College by the score of 2-1 to finish at 11-5 overall and 7-1 in the conference.

Junior Oumar Niang scored his team-leading 12th goal of the season, and nearly had two others, while teammate Guihounou Guede notched what proved to be the game-winner.

Lehman peppered Berkeley keeper Camilo Montes with 13 shots on goal and outshot the Knights 24-8 overall.
Niang, the City University of New York Athletic Conference's reigning Player of the Week got the Lightning on the board first in the second minute of play when he snuck a shot inside Montes and the right post from an almost impossible angle along the right endline.

The Lightning opened up a two goal advantage in the 13th minute when Guede took a long pass down the middle of the field from Godson Ahiadu and blasted one past Montes for his fourth strike of the season.

Berkeley pulled within a goal minutes before the end of the first half thanks to Joel Yawili, who was in the right place at the right time to bang home a cross that had been punched out by Lehman keeper Marcos Coto-Batres in the 40th minute.

Lehman had at least two superb chances to extend its lead in the second half, but Niang was thwarted not once, but twice, when his shots hit the goal post, the first coming in the 63rd minute and the other off a header in the 84th minute. 

With the regular season now complete, Lehman will rest up and return to action for the CUNYAC Championship Quarterfinals to be played next Wednesday at 4 p.m. on its home turf in the Bronx.