Varsity Boys Soccer Mounts Comeback Win Over FASNY

9/30/2026

After falling behind 1-0 early in a September 22 match against visiting French-American School of New York (FASNY), The Masters School’s varsity boys soccer team refused to be shaken.

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“Of course, we were disappointed, but we didn’t give up,” senior captain Harvey Pena said. “We stayed united and motivated each other instead of bringing people down for mistakes. That mentality of determination and staying focused kept us in the game and helped us bounce back.”

The Panthers responded with three unanswered goals over the final 65-plus minutes, earning a convincing 3-1 victory over FASNY at Greene Family Field.

Pena sparked the comeback with a stunning finish from distance, burying a left-footed rocket to even the match at 1-1 midway through the opening half.

"I received the ball from my teammate Ethan Meline ’27, and I had a bad touch on the ball, resulting in the ball bouncing," Pena said, detailing the goal. "However, without thought, I volleyed it with my left foot towards the goal. As I saw the ball leave my foot, I saw it perfectly go over the keeper into the back of the net."

The dazzling goal ignited a wild celebration among Pena’s teammates, energizing the Panthers as they surged toward the victory. For Pena, who battled back from an injury suffered last year, the moment carried even more significance.

"This goal was very special to me because it helped us become motivated to win — and it was my first goal back from my injury after six months of not playing," Pena said.

Jayden Morgan ’28 added a penalty-kick goal, and Javier Conde Baldonedo ’27 found the back of the net off a Meline free-kick service to complete the scoring for Masters.

The victory marked the Panthers’ first of the season after three hard-fought losses to Hackley, St. Luke’s and Hopkins.

"We needed this one!" head coach Sanel Klincevic said. "It was nice to finally see the ball hit the back of the net three times after struggling to score in our previous games. The boys deserved the win."

Masters will aim to carry the momentum into its next match against visiting Canterbury on Wednesday, September 30 at 4:00 p.m.

"It's nice finally having a win under our belt, and we will use this confidence going into our [game against Canterbury today at home]," Pena said. "However, we cannot forget about the hard work and losses we went through to get to the win. We also can't go into this game with cockiness and underestimating the opponent. Intensity, focus and the will to win are what will guide us through the rest of the season."