Men's Soccer Falls to DWC in NECC Championship Game

Chris Kendrick (@CKendrick86)

CHICOPEE, Mass. – The top-seeded Elms College men's soccer team was clipped by visiting Daniel Webster College, 2-1, in the New England Collegiate Conference championship game at Leary Field Sunday afternoon.

In the ninth minute of play, Eagles sophomore midfielder Ian Hutchinson (Litchfield, N.H.) streaked through the Blazers midfield, then dropped off a pass for sophomore midfielder Eusebio Marote (Lowell, Mass.), who ripped a shot at Elms junior goalie Nick Pennant (St. Andrew, Jamaica), who made the initial stop but the shots momentum carried the ball into the back of the net, staking the Eagles to a 1-0 lead.

The Blazers pulled even with 29:48 to play in the first half as senior midfielder Conor Rieker (Agawam, Mass.) played a ball up the left sideline, then launched a cross to the front of the net, where junior forward Connor O'Grady (Somers, Conn.) one-timed a volley to the inside right goal post, knotting the game at 1-1. The teams played to the halftime knotted at 1-1.

With 21:41 remaining in the second half, the Eagles controlled the ball through the Blazers zone, where sophomore forward Richard Eaton (Hudson, N.H.) gathered the ball and swung a pass to the far side of the field, finding senior forward Joey Morgan (Windham, N.H.), who blasted a shot from over 25 yards out into the far upper corner of the goal, regaining a 2-1 lead for the Eagles. The Blazers had a chance to tie the game in the final minute, but a long strike from freshman midfielder CJ Dabkowski (Bristol, Conn.) rang off the crossbar, securing the 2-1 victory for the Eagles.

The Eagles owned a slight edge in the shot column, 13-12, during the contest. Pennant stopped four shots for the Blazers, while Daniel Webster junior Sean Hamilton (Brookline, N.H.) made a game-high seven saves for the Eagles.

"Going into the match, we briefly chatted about how championships are often decided with a glory strike or a mistake," said Elms Head Coach Jared Sheikh. "Frustratingly, we were on the mistake side of things, and {Daniel Webster] were on the glory side of things. After we concede the first goal, I didn't think for one second that the game would be a shutout, and we clawed back into it. I thought for more significant stretches of the match, we were the more prolific attacking team, but [Daniel Webster] countered well. The final goal was just a terrific shot. We need to look at our seniors, and the dogfight they had in them. They put together a tremendous conference campaign. Our schedule is as strong as it's ever been, and next year I suspect it will be even stronger. We are going out a playing some of the best teams in the nation, and we do so on the backs of our seniors, who leave a tremendous legacy behind."

O'Grady, Dabkowski, senior defender Anthony Nitri (Feeding Hills, Mass.), and sophomore midfielder Scott Labrie (Southampton, Mass.) were named to the All-Tournament team for their efforts during the Blazers quest for the cup.

The Blazers moved to 9-8-3 overall, while Daniel Webster improved to 15-5-1 on the season. Daniel Webster earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Tournament. Elms will wait until early next week to find out their postseason future.

2014 NECC Men's Soccer All-Tournament Team

Anthony Nitri (Elms)

Connor O'Grady (Elms)

CJ Dabkowski (Elms)

Scott Labrie (Elms)

Ian Hutchinson (Daniel Webster)

Eusebio Marote (Daniel Webster)

Brad Hosey (Daniel Webster)

2014 Tournament MVP: Sean Hamilton (Daniel Webster)

ELMS SOCCER