Box Score WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team struck early and often Saturday afternoon at Nevers Field against the University of Massachusetts Boston in a dominating 7-0 Little East Conference victory. It was the most goals scored by one team in this 26-game series.
Ranked No. 4 in New England and No. 25 nationally, Eastern (12-0-1, 4-0-1 Little East) Eastern remained two points behind the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in the Little East Conference with its 13th straight victory over the University of Massachusetts Boston (3-9-2, 0-5-0 Little East). UMass Dartmouth defeated the University of Southern Maine in overtime to move to 5-0-0 in the LEC with two regular-season matches remaining.
The Warriors entered the week as one of 11 teams in the NSCAA Division III national rankings with unbeaten records.
Nine different players contributed a goal or assist for Eastern, led by LEC scoring leader Matt Furman (Montville) and Mitch Power (Douglas, MA) with two goals each. Christopher Giustina (Enfield) assisted on the first two goals and freshman Nicholas Carreira (Rocky Hill) came off the bench for his first career point with an assist on the final goal.
Eastern scored its first goal just 4:07 into the game when Power scored off an assist from Giustina. Giustina sent in a great cross right to the foot Power who blew it right past UMass keeper Bryce Menard (Randolph, MA).
While only up 1-0 Eastern's defense helped protect the lead. On a UMass possession in the 13th minute, Mike Radlbeck (Westbrook) and Jordan Clark (Manchester) blocked back to back shot attempts to protect the net and the lead.
After that big defensive stop, Eastern extended the lead at the 22- minute mark. Off of a corner kick by Giustina, Nicholas Demo (Brookfield) knocked in the second goal while in the box.
Just twelve minutes later, Eastern extended the lead to 3-0 on Furman's conference- leading tenth goal of the season – giving him a season-high in his career. The play started off on a great lead pass from freshman Timothy Jennison (Coventry) that led Furman perfectly. Furman beat the keeper on the ground, putting the ball just inside the far left post
After finishing the first half with a three-goal lead, Eastern continued to pad its lead. Just five minutes into the second half, Furman scored his 11th goal – 36th of his 70-game career -- and second of the game thanks to an assist from Cory Tobler (Portland) off a two-on one-opportunity.
Power contributed his second goal in the 55th minute off a great run down the right sideline before he cut the ball into the middle to beat the keeper. The assist came from Radlbeck.
Eastern scored its sixth goal in the 78th minute when Jennison scored of an assist from Zach Kice (Denver, CO). Kice then added Eastern's seventh and final goal – his first of the year -- in the 80th minute on an assist from freshman Carreira.
Senior Jordan Munsell (Waterford) and freshman Jeremy Battye (Reading,MA) combined on the team's seventh shutout, Munsell making the only saves (two) over the first 67+ minutes.
Since going scoreless in the first four matches of the year, Furman has at least one point in five straight matches and in eight of the last nine. Giustina's two assists give him a conference-leading seven this year.
Eastern visits U.S. Coast Guard Academy Wednesday at 7 p.m.
