Giesing’s Hat Trick Leads Lakers in Season-Opening 8-0 Rout

FREDERICK, MD. - The Finger Lakes men's soccer team wasted no time making a statement in their 2025 season opener. Less than three minutes into the match, Robin Giesing (Essen, Germany/Gymnasium-Essen-Werden) set the tone with the first of his three goals on the afternoon, giving the Lakers an early advantage that only grew as the half unfolded.

The opening surge continued with a pair of strikes from freshman defender Nathan Salter (Warwick, England/Aylesford School). Giesing struck again minutes later, and when freshman forward Lennart Schaefer (Dortmund, Germany/Max-Planck-Gymnasium) buried his first collegiate goal in the 15th minute, the Lakers had built a commanding 5-0 lead before the midway point of the first half.

The Lakers closed the opening period with a tally from Varun Naidoo (Johannesburg, South Africa/Hillcrest), stretching the margin to six at the break. The Lakers added insurance after halftime, highlighted by a finish from midfielder Bautista Suarez (Salta, Argentina/Colegio Belgrano) and Giesing's third goal in the 84th minute to cap the scoring.

Playmaking was equally impressive, as Bernardo Reffiel Del Castel (Sergipe, Brazil/Pró-mundo) registered two assists while Finn Atkinson (Warrington, England/Kings Leadership Academy), Pierre Essama, Owen Schuessler (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua Academy), and Noah Gouveia Pflüger (Konstanz, Germany/Heinrich-Suso-Gymnasium) each set up goals.

Defensively, the Lakers were just as sharp. Freshman goalkeeper Joshua Koobs (Leverkusen, Germany/Werner Heisenberg Gymnasium) turned away both shots he faced to secure the clean sheet.

Looking Ahead:
Finger Lakes (1-0) now turns its attention to their home opener next Wednesday, August 27th, against St. John Fisher University JV at 12 PM at the FLCC Multi-Use Turf Facility.