WESTON, Mass. – Regis College battled Saint Joseph's College throughout Thursday's Great Northeast Athletic Conference men's soccer match, but the Monks took advantage of a defensive misplay and held on for a 1-0 victory over the Pride at Regis Stadium.
Saint Joseph's (8-0-2, 3-0-1 GNAC) gained control early and kept possession of the ball, passing it back and forth in their own end of the field before starting to advance the play. The first real scoring opportunity for the Monks came off a corner kick in the 11th minute, as a shot by Ryan Buonaiuto (Scituate, R.I.) hit the crossbar.
The Monks continued to pressure the Pride defense, but they could not translate their possession into goals, as a shot by Noah Robinson (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) in the 31st minute was corralled by Regis goalie Ivan Ramirez (San Juan, Puerto Rico). Saint Joseph's finally broke through in the 43rd minute, creating enough chaos in front of the net to disorient the Regis defenders, as one of them sent the ball into the net for an own goal.
The visitors attempted to extend their lead early in the second half, taking five shots within the first 11 minutes of the period. Regis' best opportunity came on a counterattack in the 57th minute, as Santiago Pedraza Novak (Bogota, Colombia) sent a crossing pass from the left side of the field to the middle, but Grayson Owens's (Marshfield, Mass.) shot sailed wide right.
Ramirez kept the Pride within a single goal throughout the rest of the second half, making seven saves after halftime. However, Regis was unable to put together another offensive threat, as the Monk defense held the Pride to five total shots, none of them on target.
Saint Joseph's outshot Regis, 26-5, led by Kuma Onyejose (East Greenwich, R.I.) with six total shots. Monk goalie David Walbridge (Hampden, Mass.) earned a clean sheet without making a save, while Ramirez finished the afternoon with a career-high eight saves.
Regis (2-6, 0-3 GNAC) heads to Anna Maria to face the AMCATS Saturday, Oct. 5, starting at 4 p.m., two hours earlier than originally scheduled. Saint Joseph's returns to the area for another conference match against Lasell Saturday beginning at 3 p.m.
COURTESY OF REGIS COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION