HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. – The Centenary University men's soccer team suffered its first loss of the 2026 season Saturday afternoon, falling to Eastern University, 4-1, at J.E. Reeves Jr. Field.
The Cyclones (1-1-1) received their lone goal of the afternoon from Bryant Morales, while goalkeeper Gavin Veres finished with eight saves in his third consecutive 90-minute performance to open the season.
Eastern got on the board early as Morris Marshall found the back of the net in the fourth minute to give the Eagles a 1-0 advantage.
Centenary looked for the equalizer as the opening half progressed. Colin Hayes generated the Cyclones' first shot on goal in the 30th minute, forcing a save from Eastern goalkeeper Michael Arcuri. Sean Quinones, Thierry Ngwa, Shane Gambarony and Tony Garcia also recorded first-half attempts for the Cyclones.
The Eagles added to their advantage in the 41st minute when Ethan Pfau scored off an assist from Camden Jones, sending Centenary into halftime trailing 2-0. The Cyclones came out looking to cut into the deficit after the break. Bryant Morales put an attempt on frame in the 54th minute, but Arcuri made the stop.
Eastern responded with a pair of goals in quick succession. Zach Sievert scored at the 53:53 mark before Pfau recorded his second goal of the contest in the 58th minute to extend the Eagles' lead to 4-0. Centenary continued to battle and broke through in the 66th minute. Bryant Morales converted a penalty kick for his first goal of the season, putting the Cyclones on the scoreboard and cutting the deficit to 4-1.
The Cyclones continued searching for opportunities over the remainder of the contest, but neither side found the back of the net again as the game finished with a 4-1 final.
Veres played all 90 minutes between the pipes and recorded eight saves, including five in the second half.
Eastern finished with a 27-10 advantage in total shots and a 12-3 edge in shots on goal. The Eagles also held a 9-3 advantage in corner kicks. Centenary's 10 shots came from eight different players. Bryant Morales led the Cyclones with two shots, putting both on goal and scoring Centenary's lone goal. Quinones added two attempts, while Hayes recorded the Cyclones' other shot on goal.
The loss moves Centenary to 1-1-1 on the season.
