Klukowski's Hat Trick Lifts Blue Devils Past St. Bonaventure

Senior captain Yan Klukowski scored three goals in the second half and sophomore Christopher Brown added another to lift the Central Connecticut men's soccer team past St. Bonaventure, 4-0. The Blue Devils are now 10-1-1 in their last 12 games, dating back to October 21 of last season.

Klukowski and fellow senior captain, David Tyrie, are currently on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. The honor, given to only 48 individuals, is the most prestigious in collegiate soccer.

The first half seemed to be a bit of a feeling out period. Central Connecticut was controlling the pace of the game, recording the first five shots of the half. None of the Blue Devil pressure amounted to anything as the game remained at a scoreless tie going into halftime. Junior Hadji Diop was strong on the offensive in the first as he got off four shots but only one came on net. CCSU held an eight to one advantage in shots and had three corners to SBU's zero during the first period.

Central got their first real opportunity in the 47th minute when Klukowski took an out swinging corner that got right at freshman Jared Spieker's head. Spieker's header went just wide left of the goal. Beginning in the 62nd minute, the Blue Devils picked up the heat, notching four shots and two corner kicks by the 67th minute. It was then that freshman Eduardo Ortiz was taken down just outside the box and St. Bonaventure sophomore Shane Nolan was given a yellow card. Klukowski, who had two great opportunities in the previous five minutes, set up for the direct kick. His strike hit the inside of the left post, then off the right post and into the back of the net.

There was no stopping the Blue Devils from that point forward. No more than eight minutes later, CCSU was rewarded another free kick right around the top of the box. This time, Klukowski shot touched a St. Bonaventure defender and then goalkeeper David Flynn's glove before it reached the back of the net.

Five minutes later, the scoring continued when junior Mersad Sahanic played a long through ball up the left side to Klukowski. The crafty midfielder carried the ball a few strides and placed it right outside goalkeeper Ben Nida's reach and into the side netting for his third goal of the game.

With the game winding down, the Blue Devils put it out of reach when sophomore Robert Cavener took a corner kick in the 85th minute that connected with Tyrie. The senior defender rifled a shot that Nida had to deflect. Brown finished the rebound on a one touch shot and put CCSU on top 4-0.

Central outshot the Bonnies 26-4 with a shots on goal advantage of 11-3. The Blue Devils recorded nine corner kicks in the game to St. Bonaventure's one. CCSU junior goalkeeper Paul Armstrong made three saves and tallied his second shutout of the season. St. Bonaventure goalkeepers, Flynn and Nida notched four and three saves, respectively.

Central Connecticut, now 2-0 on the season, will continue their hot streak when they visit Hartford on Tuesday September 9 at 7:00 p.m. The Blue Devils will then return home on Friday September 12 when they host Vermont at noon.

St. Bonaventure is now 1-1 and will next play at Quinnipiac on Sunday September 7 at noon.