Men's Soccer Advances to NECC Finals with 3-2 Overtime Win at Mitchell

NEW LONDON, Conn. – A golden goal from Tavish Leland (Bridgton, Maine/Bridgton Academy) with 1:46 remaining in the first overtime period propelled the third-seeded Elms College men's soccer team to a 3-2 victory over second-seeded Mitchell College on Saturday afternoon in the semifinals of the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship.

The Blazers (10-7-2 overall) nearly squandered a two-goal lead but held on to earn their first-ever trip to the NECC title game. The final will be hosted by Lesley University on Sunday, November 4, and the winner will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.

The game-winning goal came off the head of Leland following a cross from the right side by teammate Joseph Coleman (Easthampton, Mass./Home Schooled). The ball slipped through the Mitchell goalkeeper's hands and gave Leland a clean look at the left corner of the goal. His header found the mark and sent the Blazers and their fans into a wild celebration.

Prior to overtime, Mitchell (7-8-0 overall) had roared back from a 2-0 halftime deficit. Michael Berthiaume (Brooklyn, Conn./Woodstock Academy) finally put the Mariners on the board in the 55th minute with a left-footed laser from the top of the box, and Jordan Derosier (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) tied things up in the 78th minute with a sliding shot in front of the net.

Elms built the lead with two goals in the first half to seize the early momentum. In the 28th minute, Ziggy Jonathan (Burumdi, Africa/Science and Technology) checked into the game prior to a corner kick and immediately made an impact. The corner carried through the box and Jonathan ripped a shot to the lower left corner for the game's first goal. The Blazers scored again just under four minutes later when Adam O'Grady (Somers, Conn./Somers) sprung loose for a shot to the lower left corner.

Coleman finished the day with a pair of assists while Joelle Reyes (San Salvador, El Salvador/Lynn Classical) also added a helper. The Blazers held an 18-16 edge in shots in the match.

Nicholson Pennant (Kingston, Jamaica) and Christian Kostka (Oxford, Conn./Oxford) each logged time in goal for the Blazers. Pennant didn't face a shot on goal in the victory while Kostka finished with three saves. Mitchell goalkeeper Ramazan Sinani (Waterbury, Conn./Crosby) recorded six saves in the loss.