NEW YORK- The Hunter College men's soccer team saw its postseason run come to an end Saturday afternoon, falling to Medgar Evers College, 1-0, in overtime in the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) semifinals. The second-seeded Hawks finished their 2026 campaign with a 5-8-3 overall record.
Hunter came out aggressive, creating several early scoring opportunities. Cole Maguire tested the Medgar Evers goalkeeper just over a minute into the match before Georgios Tsiakas followed with another shot on target less than a minute later. The Hawks continued to create chances, earning three corner kicks in the opening 12 minutes.
The Purple and Gold maintained their offensive presence throughout the first half, with Yassine Jaballah forcing another save in the 35th minute before Jaerang Lee added an attempt shortly after. Despite generating four shots and placing three on goal, Hunter entered halftime locked in a scoreless draw.
The Hawks' defensive effort took center stage after the break as Medgar Evers increased its offensive pressure. Goalkeeper Matthew Fridburg responded making four second-half saves, including three in a 10-minute stretch, to keep the match level.
Hunter's defense, led by Mikey Doyle, Filippos Lakiotis, Fernando Zuvela and Lee, held firm through regulation. All four played the full 100 minutes, helping the Hawks withstand several scoring opportunities and force overtime.
Fridburg continued his strong performance in the extra period, turning away two more attempts to keep Hunter within reach. The Cougars eventually broke through at the end of the first overtime period, scoring in the final seconds to secure the 1-0 victory.
Fridburg finished with seven saves across 100 minutes in goal, while Hunter recorded five shots, placing three on target. Jaballah, Tsiakas and Maguire each registered a shot on goal, while Lee and Andre Baraglia each added an attempt.
The Hawks concluded their season with a 4-2-1 conference record, earning the No. 2 seed in the CUNYAC Tournament and advancing to the semifinals, improving on last season's mark.
