The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy men's soccer team battled Drew University to a 0-0 draw Thursday night at Ranger Stadium in Madison, N.J. The Mariners entered the matchup following a season-opening 2-1 victory over Berkeley and carried that momentum into another competitive road contest. Drew created the majority of the early opportunities, but USMMA goalkeeper James Castoro kept the game scoreless with a strong performance between the posts. The Rangers recorded seven first-half shots compared with five for the Mariners, while Castoro made four saves before halftime.
USMMA continued to look for openings offensively after the break, with Ethan Schuette creating one of the Mariners' best chances of the night. Schuette finished with two shots on goal, both of which were stopped by Drew goalkeeper Donovan Friedhoff. Cal Lutz also registered two shots, including one on target, while Robert Derwin, Patrick Novotny, Andrew Campbell and Jackson Justice each added a shot. At the other end, Drew's Matt Munoz proved to be one of the most active players on the field, firing seven shots and putting four on target, but Castoro repeatedly denied the Rangers.
Neither side could produce the breakthrough during the final 45 minutes, as both defenses remained organized and the goalkeepers continued to keep the match level. Drew finished with a 16-10 advantage in total shots and put eight attempts on frame, but Castoro stopped all eight to record his first clean sheet of the season. Friedhoff was equally effective for Drew, making three saves to preserve the shutout. USMMA also finished with three corner kicks compared with six for Drew, as the Mariners left Madison with a hard-earned point and moved to 1-0-1 on the season.