No. 23 Men's Soccer Battles Through Tough Conditions, Defeats St. Anselm 3-0
Links: Box Score
MANCHESTER, N.H. – The No. 23 Merrimack College men's soccer team scored three second-half goals en route to a shutout victory against the Saint Anselm Hawks earlier today.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 3 | St. Anselm 0
Records: Merrimack (10-2-2, 6-2-2 NE-10) | St. Anselm (3-10-0, 2-8-0 NE-10)
Location: Grappone Stadium | Manchester, N.H.
What They Said
Head coach Tony Martone: "It was a battle out there today not only with the Hawks, but with the difficult conditions as well. I was happy with the guys' ability to persevere, and get going offensively in the second half. It's nice to reach 10 wins, but this was also our first conference road win, something we keyed on heading into this week."
How It Happened
The contest was original supposed to be played on Duffy Field, Saint Anselm's outdoor grass facility, but due to the rain the match was played on the turf at Grappone Stadium.
The first 45 minutes went by the wayside, with neither team able to score a goal. Junior Augusto Silva (Hudson, Mass.) and freshman Rui Cardoso (Bristol, Conn.) each tallied shots on goal but Hawks goalkeeper Stephen McLeod made saves on both attempts as both team adjusted to playing in the elements.
The second half began and the Warriors immediately got the offense going. Less than one mintute into the second frame, senior Michael Rincon (Medford, Mass.) delivered a pass to sophomore Oscar Zepeda Cagide (Jalisco, Mexico), who struck from distance to give the Warriors a 1-0 advantage.
Fifteen minutes later, St. Anselm committed a foul just outside the danger area, giving Merrimack a free kick opportunity. Julio Leon Garcia (Caracas, Venezeula) took the shot, scoring from 18 yards out to give the Navy and Gold a two-goal cushion.
Freshman Michael Dushman (Bedford, Mass.) continues to provide an offensive spark as a rookie. He capped off the scoring in the 76th minute by going one-on-one with his defender and beating the opposition. He slipped a shot past McLeod for his third goal of the season.
Inside The Numbers
- Rincon picked up his team-leading seventh helper of the season. He now leads Merrimack in points with 13 and is tied for first in the NE-10 in assists
- Both Leon Garcia and Zepeda Cagide's goals were their third of the season, tying them with Rincon for the third most on the team
- Senior goalkeeper Jose Silva (Northborough, Mass.) notched his third consecutive shutout and fifth clean sheet of the season
- Senior captain Michael Buraczynski (Littleton, Mass.) returned to the lineup as a substitute in the 23rd minute. He missed the last two games due to a red-card suspension
- Freshman Mattia Lanzi (Viterbo, Italy) made his first career start
Up Next
The Navy and Gold travel to American International College for a matchup with the Yellow Jackets at 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
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