Box Score WILLIMANTIC, Conn. -- Senior Jon DeCasanova (Glastonbury) scored his first goal in three years and freshman Xavier Doran (Hebron) contributed three assists as the Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team defeated the University of Southern Maine for the seventh straight year, 4-0, in a Little East Conference match Saturday afternoon at Thomas Nevers Field.
Photo at right courtesy of David Stearns
Returning to the team this year after missing the last two years after being diagnosed with aplastic anemia, DeCasanova put Eastern (7-3-2, 3-1-0 LEC) on the board with its first goal in the 19th minute and the Warriors eased to their second straight home win and moved into sole possession of second place in the conference behind unbeaten leader UMass Boston (4-0-0 LEC). DeCasanova's last goal prior to Saturday represented the final goal of the 2011 season in the Warriors' 4-2 loss to Amherst College in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Four different players scored for Eastern, among them leading scorer Tyler Jones (Vernon), a first-year sophomore. Jones' sixth goal of the year rounded out the scoring in the 59th minute. Jones also chipped in two assists to give him a team-high 15 points. Doran assisted on three of the team's goals, giving him four on the season.
Eastern outshot Southern Maine (2-10-2, 0-3-1 LEC), 22-2 and was credited with all ten of the corner kicks in the match.
In place of sophomore keeper Greg Walton (Brunwick, ME), first-year sophomore transfer Jason Smith (Gales Ferry) saw his first action in goal for Eastern after missing the first 11 matches with injury. Smith, who appeared in seven matches in goal last year at Division II University of New Haven, played the final 14:25 uneventful minutes. Walton made the only Eastern save as the Warriors recorded their fourth shutout in the last six matches.
USM freshman keeper Charles Mull (Portland, ME) stopped 14 Eastern shots, nine in the second half. The Huskies did not record their first shot until 23:14 remained in the match.
DeCasanova took three shots – all on net – in 37 minutes in the match. He nearly picked up his second goal with 22 minutes left when Doran and sophomore Nicholas Warren (Southbury) connected to feed him in the box. DeCasanova carried diagonally from right to left before unloading a 12-year shot from the center of the box that Mull slapped away.
Eastern hosts Fitchburg State University Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. in a non-conference match.
