MW soccer victorious on the road
Pine Bush. The Crusaders pulled ahead in the second half and held on to defeat the Bushmen 2-1.
| 24 Sep 2025 | 08:01
Crusader Klement Bujaj (in white jersey) scored on this shot with 26 seconds left in the half to tie the score. (
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On Thursday, Sept. 18, the Crusaders faced off against the Bushmen at Pine Bush High School in a league match. The Bushmen entered the game with a 2-3 record, having lost their previous match to Middletown 1-0. Meanwhile, the Crusaders, boasting a 5-2 record, were looking to bounce back after a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to Kingston, also by a score of 1-0.
The Bushmen struck first, scoring with six minutes remaining in the first half. A corner kick sailed past the Crusader goal, and they managed to send a shot back across the goal mouth, taking a 1-0 lead. But with just 26 seconds left in the half, senior co-captain Klement Bujaj seized the moment. He picked up the ball near midfield, made a long run down the sideline, beat his defender, and fired a shot past the diving Bushmen goalie, leveling the score at 1-1 as the half concluded.
In the second half, the Crusaders dominated the game, pushing the play into the Bushmen’s defensive end. With 14 minutes remaining, they took the lead when Patrick Smith delivered a beautiful pass through the Bushmen’s defense to a streaking Evan Espinal, who fired the ball into the net, sealing the Crusaders' 2-1 victory. This win improved their record to 6-2 for the season, and they will next face the Goldbacks in Newburgh.