CHICOPEE, Mass. — Three unanswered goals saw the hosting Elms College men's soccer team defeat Southern Vermont College 3-1 Tuesday in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) action at Leary Field.
Mountaineer freshman Kieran Enright (Perth, Australia) had the lone SVC score in the opening minute of play, but the Blazers were able to come back and tack up three through the rest of the match for the league victory.
Southern Vermont (4-12, 2-5 NECC) next heads to Dilboy Stadium in Somerville, Mass. on Saturday, lining up against Newbury College for a 3 p.m. NECC kickoff.
The Mountaineers took an immediate lead, Enright scoring his first collegiate goal on a rebound opportunity. SVC earned a corner kick just 36 seconds into the match and had freshman Nikolas Joseph (Coventry, Conn.) take the kick. It found classmate Matthew Hatch (Sahuarita, Ariz.) who was able to get a shot off, an attempt saved by Elms senior keeper Christian Kostka (Oxford, Conn.). The goalie couldn't retain possession, however, as the ball caromed to Enright who then put it in the back of the net for the 1-0 advantage.
That score stood through the next 15 minutes before the Blazers tied it with their first. EC senior midfielder Lorenzo Rolocut (Somers, Conn.) chipped a shot in from the far side of the penalty area, his second of the year evening the contest. Elms continued to get chances in the opening period, but SVC freshman goaltender Noah Chani (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) was able to come up with saves on four Blazers shots through the first 25 minutes of play.
The EC persistence eventually paid off as the hosts took the lead in the 27th minute. Rolocut crossed the ball from the side of the field and found senior Patrick Goonan (Chicopee, Mass.) in front of the net, a setup that allowed the Blazer to one-time the pass across the goal line for the 2-1 Elms advantage. That would be the final shot on goal by either team until there was only 36 seconds left in the first, a Mountaineer take that was saved by Kostka as the game went to intermission with EC holding its slim upper hand.
Neither side's offense was able manufacture a goal through the final 45 minutes, Elms' only score coming on a timely deflection; Rolocut sent a goal kick back into the net in the 56th minute for his third tally of the year and the eventual 3-1 difference. Two of the three SVC shots in the period were on frame, but neither could get past Kostka as he kept his team up by the pair down the stretch.
Chani finished the day with 10 saves, the third time this season that he has reached double digits in the category, while Kostka closed out the win with a total of five.