By Dylan Butler
Mike Todd was just playing some pickup soccer, some seven-on-seven games, when Hofstra coach Richard Nuttal told the fellow Englishman about the Brooklyn Knights and suggested the junior forward head down to the Metropolitan Oval and see what he thought.
Three games into the season Todd is having a ball playing in the Premier Development League. That’s what happens when you score four goals in back-to-back wins.
Todd scored a pair of second-half goals to lead the Knights to a 3-2 win over the Rhode Island Stingrays Sunday at the Metropolitan Oval. The native of Cleveland, England also scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Vermont Friday night.
“You can tell we haven’t played together but you can tell we’re all good individually,” Todd said. “I’m enjoying it. I didn’t really know what to expect but I’m enjoying it, especially when you’re scoring goals.”
Todd’s two second-half goals made up for a lackluster first half that saw the Knights fall behind 1-0 on Zico Antunes’ rebound goal in the 27th minute.
After Freddy Guiraw tied the game at 1 eight minutes later, Antunes had a golden chance to score the go-ahead goal in the 39th minute after he was pulled down by Knights defender Pablo Orantes in the box.
Referee Mike Constantine showed Orantes a yellow card and pointed to the penalty spot. But Antunes’ low shot was saved by Knights keeper Billy Gatti, who dived to his right.
“We just didn’t have it today early, we weren’t flowing well, our touch was off and the guys kept fighting,” said Knights coach Dan Fisher. “That’s why we brought these experienced players in, to step up big, and Billy Gatti definitely stepped up big by saving the penalty and gave us a spark.”
Jeffrey Smith put Rhode Island (1-1) in front, 2-1, in the 49th minute, but Todd nodded in Leonardo Asencio’s cross in the 62nd minute and followed with the game-winner in the 70th minute when he turned and beat Stingrays keeper Jeffrey Newman from 14 yards out.
“(Todd) is very tough up front. He’s a very talented player all around,” Rhode Island coach Joseph Avilla said. “He checks well to the ball, he makes a lot of runs and makes it very difficult for defenders to track him.”
The Knights hit the road for the first time Saturday night, playing at the South Jersey Barons at 7:30 p.m.
Brooklyn Knights 2, Vermont Voltage 0. Todd scored both goals for the Knights Friday night against the two-time defending Northeast Division champions. The forward scored what proved to be the winner in the 33rd minute and added an insurance goal in the 77th minute.
The game, which started 15 minutes late after Vermont was stuck in traffic, was delayed for almost 30 minutes after Voltage owner/general manager/coach/striker Bo Vuckovic left the field in a stretcher following a late challenge by Knights defender Paul Brooks.
Brooks received a yellow card for the slide tackle in the 24th minute and Vuckovic was taken, via ambulance, to Elmhurst General Hospital, where it was learned he broke his right leg in four different places.
Reach Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
