The Medgar Evers College men's soccer team continued its historic start to the 2026 season Monday evening, battling Sarah Lawrence College to a 2-2 draw at Fleming Field.
With the result, the Cougars moved to 3-0-1, marking the best four-game start in program history, while the Gryphons moved to 1-1-3. Medgar Evers has now opened the season without a loss in each of its first four contests, continuing what has been an impressive beginning to the campaign.
Medgar Evers wasted little time establishing itself offensively. Kevin Blackstock Jr. put Medgar Evers on the scoreboard in the 12th minute, finding the back of the net at the 11:19 mark to give the Cougars an early 1-0 advantage. Blackstock Jr. remained a consistent threat throughout the evening, registering four shots, three of which were on goal.
Sarah Lawrence answered in the 24th minute when Kairos Diaz scored at 23:54, leveling the match at 1-1. The Gryphons applied pressure late in the opening half, but Medgar Evers goalkeeper Clirian Nunez came up with two important saves in the closing minutes, stopping shots from Rhys Roberts and Connor Saul to keep the contest tied heading into halftime.
Sarah Lawrence finished the opening half with a 6-2 advantage in shots, but the Cougars entered the break deadlocked with the Gryphons.
The pace remained competitive after intermission, with Medgar Evers beginning to generate more opportunities. The Cougars earned consecutive corner kicks in the 58th minute, and moments later, Blackstock Jr. forced Sarah Lawrence goalkeeper Jonah Zalis into a save on a shot toward the bottom left corner.
The Gryphons would regain the lead in the 64th minute after being awarded a penalty kick. Connor Saul converted the opportunity at 63:55, putting Sarah Lawrence ahead 2-1.
The Cougars' response was immediate as 63 seconds later, Blackstock Jr. struck again.
At 64:58, the Medgar Evers midfielder found the back of the net for his second goal of the night, bringing the match level at 2-2. The brace gave Blackstock Jr. both of Medgar Evers' goals on the evening and continued his strong start to the season.
From there, neither side could find the decisive goal.
The Cougars created several opportunities during the final 25 minutes. Tajae Campbell put two shots toward the Sarah Lawrence goal, including one that required a save from Zalis in the 74th minute. Shammar Edwards also tested Zalis in the 82nd minute, but the Gryphons' goalkeeper made another save to preserve the tie.
Medgar Evers continued pressing late, earning another corner kick in the 86th minute and seeing Shackoneal Myrurrie fire off a pair of shots in the final six minutes. Neither found the target, however, and the two teams ultimately settled for the draw.
Nunez played all 90 minutes in goal for the Cougars, making three saves on five Sarah Lawrence shots on target. Zalis matched that performance on the other end, recording three saves for the Gryphons.
Medgar Evers finished the night with nine total shots and five shots on goal, while Sarah Lawrence produced 11 shots and five on target. The Cougars also held a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks, including all four of their corners after halftime.
Blackstock Jr. led the Cougars with his two goals, while Campbell contributed two shots and Edwards and Myrurrie each added a pair of attempts.
The Cougars will look to keep their historic unbeaten start rolling on Thursday afternoon, when they take on York College in their home-opener. The match will be played at the York College Athletic Complex in Jamaica, N.Y., with kickoff scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
