NEW LONDON, Conn. - Coast Guard Academy men's soccer took on their arch-rivals from King's Point on Friday evening in the second installment of this year's race for the Superintendent's Cup. The Bears sang their Alma Mater last after defeating the Mariners 3-1 in a physical and hard-fought battle.

King's Point entered the game with a 3-1 record, having defeated won their last match 4-1 over visiting Kean College. After the loss, they fall to 3-2. The Mariners next match is on Sunday, September 15, in which they'll be hosting Purchase College in their Skyline Conference opener. The game is set for a noontime kick-off.

Coast Guard took an almost immediate lead after an excellent shot by forward Jake Fish (Little Silver, N.J.) less than a minute into the game. With a defender covering him near the back right corner of the penalty box, the sophomore let loose a winding shot that curved over and around the outstretched arms of King's Point's goalkeeper and into the back of the net. It was Fish's first goal of the season.

The rest of the half saw no rebuttal from the Mariners, who were subject to another smothering defensive effort by the Bears' defense. The visitors were able to get only three shots off in the first half as they had to go against a physical and relentless back line led by tri-captains Jude Sargent (West Hartford, Conn.) and Michael O'Brien (Mays Landing, N.J.).

O'Brien would extend the lead for the Bears in the second half.  Junior forward Aki Freeman (San Diego, Calif.) sent a cross into the box, during the 58th minute where the senior redirected it into the goal with a header. It was O'Brien's second goal in as many games, having scored an equalizer in the final minutes of Coast Guard's previous game against Eastern Connecticut State to clinch a tie and avoid the team's first defeat of the season. Freeman was marked for his first assist of the season.

King's Point would begin their comeback attempt just ten minutes later, cutting the lead down to 2-1 in the 68th minute. Coast Guard would re-widen the gap soon after. A cross into the box by Sargent was tapped in by sophomore defender Naveen Jayaram (Tampa, Fla.). Jayaram's first collegiate goal was met with cheers from the Coast Guard spectators and his teammates, the latter of whom swarmed him in celebration at the right corner of King's Points end of the pitch.

The Mariners would try to cut the lead but were unable to do so. King's Point was awarded a yellow card in the 86th minute after a defender's reckless challenge tripped up a Coast Guard attacker. Play was stopped for a few minutes while officials assessed the situation and mediated between the two sides. The card resulted in a free kick for the Bears just outside of the penalty area. Senior midfielder and tri-captain Micah Messner (Mableton, Ga.) took the kick, attempting a shot that was saved by the Mariners' goalie.

John Putnam (Halfmoon, N.Y.) made his first start and appearance in net since Coast Guard's 2-0 win over Endicott College on October 31st. The junior showed no rust, making 5 saves during the full contest. As the final buzzer sounded, the teams shook hands and lined up to pay respect to each others school anthems. King's Point sang theirs first, followed by the victorious Bears.

Men's soccer will begin their conference schedules in their next match-up, heading to Cambridge, Mass. to take on MIT. The Bears will have a lot of time to prep as the game is scheduled for Saturday, September 21st with a 4:00 PM kick-off. The Engineers are 4-1 to start the season, their only loss being at the hands of #10 Tufts, and will have hosted UMass Boston and visited Wentworth before their match against Coast Guard.