Lehman College opened its 2026 men's soccer season Wednesday afternoon with a 2-2 draw against Old Westbury at Panther Park. The Panthers struck first in the 27th minute when Alvaro Arroyo converted a chance assisted by Dylan Quiroz, putting the hosts ahead 1-0. Lehman answered quickly, however, with Ashraf Abubakar finding the back of the net less than three minutes later off a pass from Cameron Dennis. The Lightning then completed the turnaround in the 32nd minute, when Abdula George scored in his collegiate debut after receiving a pass from Amidou Kone.
Old Westbury refused to let the early deficit stand, pulling level just five minutes after Lehman had taken the lead. Alexander Joergensen scored in the 37th minute off an assist from Johan Gran, bringing the score to 2-2 heading into halftime. The opening 45 minutes featured an impressive offensive burst from both sides, with all four goals coming in a span of less than 10 minutes. Lehman registered five shots in the first half, while Old Westbury recorded seven, as both teams entered the break with the match completely even.
Neither side was able to find the decisive goal after halftime despite several opportunities. Old Westbury finished the match with a 13-9 edge in total shots and earned nine corner kicks to Lehman's four, but the Lightning were more accurate with their chances, putting seven shots on target compared with six for the Panthers. Lehman goalkeeper made four saves, while Old Westbury's goalkeeper recorded five, as both defenses held firm over the final 45 minutes. The draw gives both teams a 0-0-1 record to begin the season, with Lehman returning home Saturday to host Sarah Lawrence.