Author: richard

Sean Maruscsak scored Invictus FC’s first ever UPSL goal in an away game against Lonestar Syracuse that turned out to be a disappointing opening day for the Lions.

During a game that saw chances at both ends, Invictus dominated the play for long spells of the game.

Throughout the first half, Invictus created numerous excellent opportunities but failed to capitalize.

Then, on the 32 minute mark, Maruscsak found a way to break the deadlock, with a cool finish inside the box. Following this, Invictus had two clear opportunities to put the game out of sight, but failed to provide the finishing touches.

The second half started similar to the first, and in the 54th minute Joe Spires (who replaced Victor Stasyuk in the forward role) was clearly brought down from behind in the box, but the referee waved play on to the dismay of the traveling fans and Invictus team. Lonestar seconds later, and immediately against the run of play, had a fortunate bounce in the Invictus box and equalized from close range. This naturally gave them a boost after being frustrated for large spells of the game and limited in terms of possession, which led to a wonder strike from long range the clipped the underside of the cross bar and found its way in the back of the Invictus net.

Chasing the game, Invictus threw everything they had, but just couldn’t get the equalizer that they clearly at least deserved, ending in a disappointing end to the day.

Head Coach, Dan Kincaid, summed up the day:

“We were clearly the better team and we should have had the game won in the first half. But you have to take your chances, and we failed to do that today. The penalty decision in the second half that went against us was extremely frustrating and disappointing. It was a game changing moment at a key time in the game. I spoke with the referee after the game to express my view, as we all knew it was a clear penalty when Joey was brought down – if we take that chance and go 2-0 ahead, I think we go on to win the game comfortably. But this is the nature of the game, and we have all been here before. If we take are chances, which I know we will moving forward – we will not have to worry about referee decisions having such an impact. The guys played well and worked very hard, and we will use this as a positive catalyst for our next game and the rest of the season.”

Invictus next play on Wednesday, May 12th @ 7pm against Krajisnik FC in Utica, NY.

February 20, 2021

Syracuse, NY – Invictus FC Technical Director, Paul Mairs announced today the exciting news of the club’s historic first signing with Joe Falcone putting pen to paper for the organization’s inaugural UPSL season.

Falcone, a Fayetteville-Manlius native, has already developed an impressive soccer resume ahead of the 2021 UPSL season. In 2016, he was an All-American at FM High School, and was named ‘Central New York Player of the Year’; before committing to the Le Moyne college Men’s soccer program. 

After stamping his mark at Le Moyne during his Freshman year, Falcone quickly became a standout player for the ‘Dolphins’, a program that has developed a solid reputation for success and for bringing in some of the best young talent within the U.S. and throughout Europe. 

Club President, and former Le Moyne All-American Richard Shaw, emphasized the excitement with Falcone’s introduction to the Men’s UPSL Invictus FC team: 

“Joe is truly a great lad, and has one of the best attitudes we have ever seen in the game. We have coached and worked with him day in day out since he was 5 years old. He is the epitome of our program and philosophy behind player development. When we was putting this exciting new project together, Joe was one of the first players we thought of because we knew he would be an inspiration to so many young players in the club. Joe represents everything we stand for at Invictus FC.”

Invictus has developed a strong position for emphasizing academics with their collegiate bound players – as well as their overall development as athletes. Falcone’s performances both on and off the field at Le Moyne have allowed him to become an extremely successful student-athlete at a program which has gained one of the most successful reputations in the North-East region under the guidance of Head Coach, Tom Bonus. Falcone describes the following as key contributions to his achievements:

“I am grateful that I was allowed to focus on my individual development growing up as a young player. I have worked with Paul Mairs and Richard Shaw since I was 5 years old, and they always emphasized how becoming a successful college and professional player was all about training consistently, working hard at every practice, and being honest as a player. While so many young players were traveling all over the country attending tournament after tournament, I was encouraged to stay local and focus on my training and personal development. The best players in the world focus on training and their individual development at a young age. It is great to see this approach being implemented at Invictus FC and for me to be part of the Invictus family.

Currently, due to various factors, Le Moyne are still determining their plans for Spring 2021, and naturally Falcone is eager to get back on the field: 

“Unfortunately, our soccer season last Fall at Le Moyne was cancelled, and that was difficult to take as I am having such a great experience both studying and playing. At this moment, we are waiting to hear what the plans will be in terms of Spring soccer for college, and I simply cannot wait to play competitively again. Knowing that I will be joining the Invictus FC team, and putting on the jersey in the UPSL throughout the summer is something I am extremely excited about.”

Invictus FC awaits the official announcement of the UPSL 2021 schedule. More news and ticket information will be announced shortly. Please follow us on instagram @invictusnewyork and visit invictusfc.com for all UPSL and Youth Soccer information.

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