New England College Takes Home Opener from Men's Soccer
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New England Col. (4-2) | 2 | 2 | 4 |
|
Elms (1-3) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Chris Kendrick (@CKendrick86)
CHICOPEE, Mass. – New England College used four unanswered goals to defeat the Elms College men's soccer team, 4-1, in the Blazers home opener at Leary Field Saturday afternoon. Elms moves to 1-3 on the season, while the Pilgrims improve to 4-2 overall.
The Blazers broke the scoreless tie in the 13th minute as senior Lorenzo Rolocut (Chicopee, Mass.) crossed the ball to the front of the net, finding freshman Shaquille Robinson (New York, N.Y.), who chipped the ball past NEC sophomore goalkeeper Dylan Mix (Charlestown, N.H.) to claim an early 1-0 lead for Elms.
With 23:43 on the clock, the Pilgrims evened the score as Elms senior goalkeeper Nicholson Pennant (St. Andrew, Jamaica) denied an initial shot from NEC junior Conor Douglass (Rockport, Mass.), but sophomore Michael Skarbelis (North Andover, Mass.) gathered the loose ball and fired a shot into the back of the net, making it a 1-1 game.
In the 38th minute of play, the Blazers suffered from an hand ball in the box, resulting in a penalty kick for New England College. On the ensuing penalty kick, Pilgrims junior Ronsard Masamba (Haverhill, Mass.) beat Pennant to the right side, giving NEC a 2-1 lead. The Pilgrims maintained the 2-1 lead into the intermission.
New England College extended their lead with 26:50 remaining when junior Rizy Misiri (Concord, N.H.) delivered a cross towards the far right post where sophomore Camille Sheeham (Watertown, Mass.) knocked a one-shot touch into the back left corner, pushing the NEC advantage to 3-1. The Pilgrims dealt their final blow in the 73rd minute as sophomore Sina Samali (North Andover, Mass.) ripped a shot past Pennant's left side, send New England College to the 4-1 win.
The Blazers and the Pilgrims finished even the shot column at 21-21. Pennant made five saves for Elms, while Mix stopped a game-high 10 shots in the win.
Elms will look to move back into the win column against Johnson & Wales Tuesday night at Leary Field. Kickoff is slate for 7:00 p.m. New England College hosts Daniel Webster College Monday at 7:00 p.m.
ELMS SOCCER
