Three First Half Goals Lift Johnson & Wales University Past Men’s Soccer, 4-0

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Elms College freshman goalkeeper John Matrisciano (West Haven, Conn.) made five saves, but Johnson & Wales University scored three first half goals including two from Dustin Hughes (Holden, Mass.) to help pace the Wildcats to a 4-0 victory over the Blazers in Wednesday afternoon's non-conference men's soccer game in Providence, R.I.

With the loss, Elms moves to 1-4 on the season, while Johnson & Wales improves to 4-2 overall.

Hughes put Johnson & Wales ahead, 1-0 at the 19:07 mark when he drilled a shot into the upper portion of the net after receiving a cross from Drew Lightfoot (Philadelphia, Pa.).

Eight minutes later, Hughes doubled the Wildcats' margin when he received a pass from O'Kyle Corridon (Selden, N.Y.) and was able to capitalize on a breakaway down the left side of the pitch.

A second breakaway opportunity just before intermission lifted the score to 3-0 when Kyle Metz (St. James, N.Y.) was on the scoring end of a pair of passes from Chris Zappel (Jamaica, N.Y.) and Patrick Nally () allowing him to break free down the middle of the field.

Johnson & Wales' final tally came in the 54^th minute of play when Darrin Kaiser (Selden, N.Y.) scored on a throw in, heading the ball into the nylon to extend the score to 4-0.

Elms fired four shots on goal in the second half including one apiece from sophomore defender Anthony Nitri (Feeding Hills, Mass.), sophomore midfielder Josh DiNoto (Branford, Conn.), freshman midfielder Lorenzo Rolocut (Somers, Conn.) and freshman midfielder Patrick Goonan (Chicopee, Mass.).

Blazers' freshmen goalkeepers Christian Kostka (Oxford, Conn.) and Nicholson Pennant (Kingston, Jamaica) combined for three saves, in addition to Matrisciano's five stops between the pipes.

Kostka played the first 38 minutes and suffered the loss for Elms, while his counterpart Austin Scoggin (Mattituck, N.Y.) played 74 minutes for the Wildcats and earned the win, notching three saves in the process.

Elms opens New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) action on Saturday, September 22 when it travels to Regis College for a 2:00 p.m. contest with the Pride.