BRONX, N.Y.-The Hunter College men's soccer team closed out its regular season Saturday afternoon with a 0-0 draw against Lehman College at South Field. The result secured the No. 2 seed for the Hawks in the upcoming City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) Tournament, as Hunter finished the regular season at 5-7-3 overall and 4-2-1 in conference play.
Hunter came out aggressive, creating several early opportunities and earning three corner kicks in the opening eight minutes. Luciano Aguirre and Yassine Jaballah each recorded early attempts before Filippos Lakiotis added another chance in the 17th minute.
The Hawks continued to control the pace throughout the first half, outshooting Lehman 5-2. Juan Rambal put Hunter's first shot on target in the 21st minute, forcing a save as the Purple and Gold looked to break the scoreless deadlock.
Hunter carried its momentum into the second half, with Jaime Mackliff making an immediate impact off the bench. Mackliff forced a save just 40 seconds after the restart before Jaballah put another attempt on goal in the 54th minute. Despite creating opportunities, the Hawks were unable to find the breakthrough.
On the defensive end, Matthew Fridburg anchored Hunter's shutout effort, playing all 90 minutes and recording three saves. Fridburg made a pair of second-half stops in the 56th and 64th minutes to keep the match level.
The Hawks' back line, featuring Mikey Doyle, Jaerang Lee, Filippos Lakiotis and Fernando Zuvela, played all 90 minutes, helping limit Lehman to just three shots on goal. The defensive effort secured Hunter's third shutout of the season and its first scoreless draw.
Jaballah led the Hawks' attack with three shots, including one on target, while Rambal and Mackliff each added an attempt on goal. Hunter finished with seven shots, placing three on target, while holding a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks.
With the regular season complete, the Hawks now turn their attention to postseason play, entering the CUNYAC Tournament as the No. 2 seed.
