Men’s Soccer Captures Second Straight NECC Championship, Bests Newbury College, 5-0

CHICOPEE, Mass. – The top-seeded Elms College men's soccer team earned its second consecutive New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship title with a 5-0 victory over second-seeded Newbury College on Sunday afternoon at Leary Field and secured the program's second straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship.

With the win, Elms improves to 11-8-0 overall and now await their NCAA Division III Championship First Round opponent which will be announced on Monday, Nov. 11 during the selection show. Newbury concludes its season with an 8-10-0 overall record.

Elms burst out of the gate scoring just 28 seconds into play when junior midfielder Joelle Reyes (San Salvador, El Salvador) scored on a pass from senior forward Adam O'Grady (Somers, Conn.) to give Elms an early 1-0 advantage.

In the 20^th minute of play, the Blazers were awarded a penalty kick and Adam O'Grady deposited the ball into the back of the net to increase the lead to 2-0.

Just before halftime, Elms tacked on a third score when junior midfielder Conor Rieker (Agawam, Mass.) headed in a beautiful cross from junior forward Joseph Coleman (Easthampton, Mass.) at the 40:59 mark to set the score at 3-0 in favor of the Blazers.

Newbury had a pair of chances to get on the board in the first half as Milton Ricaurte (Central Falls, R.I.) and Rodriguez Pierre (Somerville, Mass.) both fired shots on target, but Elms' sophomore goalkeeper Christian Kostka (Oxford, Conn.) turned away both shots to keep Elms' lead at 3-0.

In the second half, Blazers' sophomore midfielder Lorenzo Rolocut (Somers, Conn.) controlled a loose ball just beyond midfield and powered in a curling shot that found the back of the net in the 49^th minute of play to extend the lead to 4-0.

Blazers junior midfielder Josh DiNoto (Branford, Conn.) capped the scoring at the 70:48 mark when he lined up a free kick from the left side and curled a shot into the far corner of the net to give Elms its 5-0 victory.

The Nighthawks continued to apply pressure with shots from Bryan Barrios (Central Falls, R.I.) and Pierre but Kostka continued to keep Newbury off the board.

Elms' sophomore net-minder John Matrisciano (West Haven, Conn.) entered in relief of Kostka with 13:33 left to play and made a pair of stops on blasts from Marc Daniel Jean-Jacques (Franklin Square, N.Y.) and Camilo Riveira (Santa Marta, Columbia).

Nighthawks' goalkeeper Cody Nash-Gibney (South Burlington, Vt.) made three stops in the losing effort.

Elms' defensive line of juniors Anthony Nitri (Feeding Hills, Mass.) and Brendan Reynolds (Springfield, Mass.), sophomores Connor O'Grady (Somers, Conn.) and Joe Pellegrini (Somers, Conn.) and freshman Scott Labrie (Southampton, Mass.) were stellar in halting the Newbury attack. 

2013 All-Tournament Team
Brad Hosey, Daniel Webster College
Lino Chaves, Daniel Webster College
Makenzie Lucas, Lesley University
Spencer Irwin, Lesley University
Cody-Nash Gibney, Newbury College
Agostinho Lam, Newbury College
Bryan Barrios, Newbury College
Marc Daniel Jean-Jacques, Newbury College
Christian Kostka, Elms College
Connor O'Grady, Elms College
Joe Pellegrini, Elms College
Adam O'Grady, Elms College
NECC Tournament MVP: Adam O'Grady, Elms College