NEWTON, Mass. – Lasell men's soccer senior Conor Fitzgerald (Marshfield, Mass.) scored two second-half goals to stun the Monks of Saint Joseph's (Maine) 2-0 in a crucial Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup on Wednesday afternoon at Taylor Field. The Lasers improve to 3-10 overall and 3-5 in the GNAC, while the Monks drop to 10-5-1 this season and 5-3 in conference play.
After both teams played to a scoreless first half, the Lasers applied immediate pressure on the Monks' defensive line. Senior Nick Liquori (Westfield, Mass.) sprinted up the right flank and took a touch inside, where he found Fitzgerald on the pass. Fitzgerald then took a one-time shot to the lower left corner of the net to put the home team up 1-0 in the 54th minute.
Liquori continued to have an offensive presence in St. Joe's defensive end, as he wound up for a long shot that was stopped by Monks' freshman keeper Blake Mullen (Manchester, Conn.). The Lasers would strike again in the 61st minute, as Fitzgerald fended off a Monks' defender and volleyed goal number two into the left netting for the 2-0 bump.
Immediately following the goal, the Monks' midfield pressed forward and sent a promising ball into the box. Freshman Jesse Ramirez (Dumont, N.J.) got the end of it and fired off a shot that was stopped by a sprawling senior keeper Miguel Colmenares (Caracas,
Venezuela). Colmenares stood tall on his line in the 84th minute, as the Monks drew a foul in the Lasers' defensive territory. Freshman Mitchell Cyr (Rochester, N.H.) released a shot on the play, however, Colmenares secured the 2-0 victory for the Lasers with a diving save.
The shot count for both teams was locked even at 10 apiece, while Saint Joseph's held a slim 7-4 advantage in corner kicks.
Colmenares earns his third shutout of the season with five saves in the game, and improves his record to 3-10. Mullen drops to 5-3 this season, and recorded five saves in the effort for the Monks.
Both teams will resume the pitch on Saturday, October 24 for a critical conference matchup. The Lasers will head to crosstown rival Mount Ida College for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff, while the Monks welcome Norwich University at 12:00 p.m.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
