Men's Soccer closes season with tough 3-2 loss at Bridgewater State
Courtesy of BSU Sports Information
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University men's soccer team wrapped up regular season play with a 3-2 Senior Day victory over visiting MCLA in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) matchup on Friday afternoon at Swenson Field.
The host Bears improve to 10-7 overall and 5-2 in the MASCAC with the win, while the Trailblazers end the season with an overall record of 0-15-1 (0-7 MASCAC). Bridgewater is seeded second in next week's MASCAC Tournament and will have a first round bye. The Bears will host a semifinal game on Friday, November 2nd against an opponent to be determined.
Senior midfielder Kevin Roberts (Medway, Mass.) paced Bridgewater State with a pair of goals, including the game-winner, while senior forward Kessy Alves (Praia, Cape Verde) dished out three assists.
MCLA junior forward Ryan Wanek (Adams, Mass.) scored off a turnover to open the scoring just 6:10 into the game. Wanek intercepted a mishandled ball and ripped a shot from 23 yards out inside the right post for his first goal of the season.
The Bears dominated possession in the first half, but were unable to put the ball in the back of the net despite holding a 20-3 shot advantage and hitting two posts over the first 45 minutes.
BSU freshman midfielder Odair Monteiro (Fogo, Cape Verde) knotted the score with a header goal less than five minutes into the second half. Alves outfought a defender for the ball on the right side and sent a goal line cross to Monteiro at the far post who headed it into the left side of the net. The goal marked Monteiro's second of the season.
Roberts staked the Bears to a 2-1 lead in the 66th minute. Following a short pass from junior forward Joseph Cruise (Brockton, Mass.), Alves slipped a cross at the top of the 18 to Roberts who buried a shot into the left side of the cage.
Wanek potted the equalizer for MCLA less than two minutes later as he scored off the rebound of a Khalil Kareh (Adams, Mass.) shot. The goal came off a restart delivered into the box by freshman defender Ian Ford-Hunt (Lowell, Mass.).
Roberts notched the game-winner in the 74th minute as he one-timed a cross sent into the six by junior defender Zachary Ells(Douglas, Mass.). Roberts drove the ball inside the left post for his team-leading seventh goal of the season and career tenth. Alves also assisted on the marker as he picked up his third helper of the day and team-best ninth of the year.
The Bears finished with a 35-9 shot advantage as well as a 13-3 edge in corner kicks.
BSU junior goalkeeper Nate Morgado (Dartmouth, Mass.) turned aside four shots to record his tenth win of the season and 20th of his career. Freshman Holvin Nieves (Leominster, Mass.) turned aside ten shots in the setback for the Trailblazers.