PURCHASE, N.Y. (Oct. 24, 2026) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy men's soccer team closed out the regular season with a 3-0 road victory over Purchase College in Skyline Conference action on Saturday afternoon at Purchase Soccer Field. The Mariners improved to 6-4-8 overall (5-1-5 Skyline), while the Panthers fell to 1-12-4 (0-6-4 Skyline).
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The Mariners generated several early scoring opportunities, including a shot from freshman Drew Coyne (Harrington, N.J.) that struck the left post in the 11th minute. Junior Colin Robertson (Milford, Mich.) and sophomore Charlie Safe (Boise, Idaho) both tested Purchase goalkeeper Ryder Lucas in the 14th and 16th minutes, but he denied both opportunities to keep the contest scoreless.
The Blue and Gray broke through in the 31st minute when Robertson found the back of the net, giving USMMA a 1-0 lead. The Mariners doubled their lead in the 38th minute when sophomore Ethan Schuette (Gig Harbor, Wash.) twinkled the twine, making it 2-0. Merchant Marine kept the pressure on late in the opening half, as sophomore Jackson Justice (Winchester, Va.) and junior Cade Dailey (Orange Park, Fla.) each registered shots on goal that Lucas turned away. Purchase looked to answer in the 43rd minute, but senior goalkeeper Ethan Howell (Alexandria, Va.) stopped a shot from Rene Salmeron-Reyes to preserve the Mariners' 2-0 halftime lead.
USMMA carried its offensive momentum into the second half, extending its lead to 3-0 in the 55th minute when junior Cal Lutz (South Pasadena, Calif.) scored off a feed from Coyne. Robertson nearly added another goal just two minutes later, but Lucas made the save to keep the deficit at three. The visitors kept generating scoring chances throughout the second half, with Coyne testing Lucas twice in the 60th and 64th minutes. Freshman Matthew Bondarowicz (Parsippany, N.J.) and senior Quentin Lueck (Bakersfield, Calif.) had strong late chances, but Lucas stopped both shots, and the Mariners cruised to a 3-0 win.
Merchant Marine held a 22-11 advantage in shots, including a 13-1 margin in shots on goal. The Mariners also finished with a 7-3 edge in corner kicks.
Howell made one save in 65:13 of action before senior James Castoro (Garden City, N.Y.) played the final 24:47 without facing a shot on goal, as the two combined for the shutout. Lucas finished with 10 saves for Purchase.
Merchant Marine returns to the pitch on Sunday, Nov. 1, for the first round of the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament. Additional information regarding the upcoming tournament will be announced on USMMA Athletics' social media pages (links below) and
www.USMMASports.com in the coming days.
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