OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. – Bloomfield scored an equalizing goal on a penalty kick to draw even at the half in its men's soccer season opener against regional rival NYIT Thursday evening, but the hosts notched two goals in the second half for a 3-1 victory in the 'Battle of the Bears".
 
The loss quickly dropped the BC Bears to 0-1 in 2016 while the Bears of NYIT improved to 1-0 overall with the non-conference win.
 
Ben Wilson caught Bloomfield's transfer goalie, Matthew Weigner (Warrington, P.A.) on his heels in the thirty-fourth minute with a shot after a foul that found the top left corner of the goal just over the BC keep.  Junior Rafique Roberts (Portmore, Jamaica) evened the score less than ten minutes later on a penalty kick just before the half for his first of the season.
 
NYIT peppered the Bloomfield back line with twelve shots in the first half while the visitor's offense managed four shots in the opening frame.  Bloomfield evened up the pressure in the second half, forcing seven shots at the home team's defense.
 
The home Bears seized the lead early out of the locker room with a goal in the fourty-seventh minute in the top right corner of the net. NYIT put the game away at the 82:27 minute mark on a Wilson assisted goal that closed the scoring for the match.
 
Junior goalkeeper, Weigner tallied eight saves on the afternoon, while Roberts tallied three of the team's 11 total shots for the game.
 
Bloomfield will return to the road for another tough non-conference regional battle on Saturday, September 3^rd. The Labor Day Weekend rumble with the Penmen of SNHU is slated for a 1:30 p.m. matchup in Manchester, M.H.
 
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