Men's Soccer Edges Westfield State
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Elms (2-4-2) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
Westfield State (1-6-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Chris Kendrick (@CKendrick86)
WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Elms College men's soccer squad outlasted host Westfield State, 1-0, in a non-conference matchup at Alumni Field Tuesday evening.
In the 34th minute of play, the Blazers were awarded a free kick near midfield. On the ensuing attempt, junior Connor O'Grady (Somers, Conn.) launched the ball from the right sideline to the left side of the box where freshman forward Bobby Zaino (Avon, Conn.) elevated over the defense and headed the ball into the back of the net, giving the Blazers a 1-0 advantage. The Blazers held a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
The Owls attempted to even the score in the 52nd minute, but a strong defensive effort kept the Owls off the scoreboard. Westfield senior forward Dom Cavallini ripped a shot, but Elms junior goalie Nick Pennant made a leaping stop, and then Blazers defense knocked down a rebound attempt from sophomore Cody Baglow, to maintain the 1-0 advantage. Pennant made another crucial save in the 62nd minute to propel the Elms to a 1-0 victory.
The Blazers edged the Owls in shot, 16-15, during the contest. Pennant made four saves for Elms, while Westfield freshman Alex Karver stopped a game-high nine shots.
With the win, Elms improves to 2-4-2 on the season, while Westfield State drops to 1-6-1 overall. The Blazers will return to the pitch in their NECC Conference opener at Regis Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m.
ELMS SOCCER
