Brookdale Men's Soccer Ties With Sussex To Clinch Playoff Spot

Lincroft, NJ - The Brookdale men's soccer team battled to a 1-1 draw against the Sussex County Community College Skylanders in a crucial conference matchup for both teams.

Sussex opened the match with high pressure from the start and capitalized early after a dropped cross allowed their forward to tap in a goal just two minutes into the game.

In the 19th minute, freshman midfielder Jorge Cruz brought the ball down calmly in the midfield and switched play wide right to freshman midfielder Jorgeluis Pintado. Pintado cut inside and slipped a perfectly timed pass behind the back line to a running Cruz, who finished first-time into the far post corner to level the match.

Goalkeeper Klaud Martyna came up with several big-time saves to keep the game tied heading into halftime.

In the second half, Brookdale's defense controlled the tempo and shut down any counterattacks, while the offense created multiple looks on frame but couldn't find the game-winner.

With the 1–1 draw, Brookdale officially clinches a spot in the playoffs. The team will have several days off before the postseason schedule is released.

Photo above courtesy of Tom Smith