Match Report | Buffalo Stallions vs Cleveland SC
- Cleveland SC
- May 12
- 3 min read
Cleveland SC Opens 2025 Campaign with Dominant 3-0 Win Over Buffalo Stallions
NORTH TONAWANDA, NY – Cleveland SC kicked off their 2025 NPSL season in commanding fashion on Saturday night, cruising to a 3-0 victory over expansion side Buffalo Stallions at North Tonawanda High School. Behind a first-half brace from Ukrainian striker Stanislav Koval and a second-half own goal, the Orange and Black controlled the match from start to finish and earned a well-deserved clean sheet to open their campaign.
The Cleveland attack wasted no time and in the 17th minute, forward Stanislav Koval, picked up the ball near midfield and initiated a long solo run. Outpacing two defenders, Koval drove straight into the Stallions’ back line before calmly slotting a right-footed finish past keeper Jack Petrie to put Cleveland SC up 1-0. The moment of brilliance was set up by an assist from forward Cian Tunney that sparked the energy in the Cleveland attack and set the tone for the rest of the evening.
Deep into first-half stoppage time, Cleveland SC earned a penalty after a foul on Koval in the box. Koval stepped up and delivered with confidence, burying the spot kick in the 3rd minute of stoppage time to complete his brace doubling Cleveland SC’s lead heading into the locker room.
Cleveland continued to press early in the second half and were rewarded with a third goal in the 64th minute. Pressing off the left wing, Kyle Healy slotted a pass into midfielder Uleto Fuentes who attempted a cross that caught Stallions’ striker Tyler Warmington off guard, inadvertently deflecting the ball into his own net while trying to recover, handing Cleveland a 3-0 advantage.
Buffalo struggled to create meaningful chances for much of the match against Cleveland’s midfield and back line, led by Bobby Turner, Samuel Sebagabo, and captain Kyle Healy. The Stallions had their best opportunity of the night in the 74th minute when goalkeeper Zoltan Nagy came up with a brilliant save off the left foot of Warmington and preserved the shutout. The Lakewood native and former Duquesne standout was rock solid in net during his 83 minutes of action, recording four saves before being replaced by Colin Monroe for the final stretch of the match.
Monroe was called into action late as Buffalo tried to salvage a goal, making one save and helping Cleveland SC secure the clean sheet. Between Nagy and Monroe, the two keepers combined for five saves on the night and effectively shut down any offensive threat posed by the home side.
One concern for Cleveland SC came in the 28th minute when German midfielder Linus Östlund was forced off the field with a leg injury. Östlund did not return, but the club is hopeful that extended time will not be missed.
With the win, Cleveland SC starts their season 1-0-0 and will look to carry the early momentum into next weekend's match up against Rochester NY FC. The victory also marks a statement of intent for head coach Joe Jovanovski’s squad, who appear poised to make a push for the postseason after narrowly missing out last year.
Kickoff for the Rochester clash is set for Saturday, May 17th.
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