Worcester State Outlasts Men's Soccer

Chris Kendrick (@CKendrick86)

CHICOPEE, Mass. – The Elms College men's soccer team fell in a physical affair with Worcester State, 2-1, in a non-conference matchup at Leary Field Wednesday evening.

In the 26^th minute of play, the Lancers pressed offensively and created havoc in front of the Blazers goal, where Elms junior goalkeeper Nick Pennant (St. Andrew, Jamaica) stopped the initial shot, but the loose ball trickled near the top of the box. A Lancers player attempted to put back the rebound, but his shot was stopped by an errant hand from Blazers junior defender Brendan Reynolds (Springfield, Mass.), resulting in a penalty kick for Worcester State. On the ensuing attempt, Lancers junior senior forward Derek Alves beat Pennant to the low left side, staking Worcester State to a 1-0 lead.

With 6:45 remaining in the first half, the Lancers extended their advantage to 2-0 as WSU sophomore forward Stephen Julius corralled a loose ball and lofted a pass to the far left side of the box, where Lancers senior forward Eugene Duah volleyed a one-timer into the back of the net. Worcester State carried their 2-0 lead into halftime.

The Blazers cracked the scoreboard in the final minute of play as Lancers senior defender Kyle Venne was called for a yellow card in the box, giving Elms a penalty kick. Freshman forward Bobby Zaino (Avon, Conn.) was designated to take the attempt, and he ripped a shot past WSU junior goalie Tim Schmidt.

The Lancers outshot the Blazers, 24-16, during the contest. Pennant made four saves in the first half, and junior goalkeeper Ryan Harris (Brandon, Mo.) made two saves in the second half. Schmidt stopped a game-high six shots for Worcester State.

The Blazers drop to 3-5-2 this season, while the Lancers improved to 3-5-1 overall. Elms will return to the pitch in a home NECC matchup with Mitchell at Lear Field Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is slated for 4:00 p.m.

ELMS SOCCER