Seahawks top Pilgrims 2-1 to open season
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New England Col. (0-1-0) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
|
Salve Regina (1-0-0) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
SEAHAWK MEN'S SOCCER RESULTS
Salve Regina 2, New England College 1
Reynolds Field - Newport, R.I.
Friday, August 30, 2019
Summary
NEWPORT, R.I. - Senior forward Evan MacDonald (Candia, N.H.) scored both goals for the Salve Regina University men's soccer team in a 2-1 victory over visiting New England College to open the 2019 season.
Series and Streaks
Salve Regina leads the all-time series 19-6-2 and has now won five in a row over the Pilgrims.
Three Stars of the Game
- Salve Regina senior Evan MacDonald broke a scoreless tie with a penalty kick goal in the 28th minute then added his second to make it 2-0 in the 57th.
- NEC junior Robbie Ferguson (Hopkinton, N.H.) made 14 saves in the loss for the Pilgrims.
- NEC junior Hans Fanfan (Yarmouth, Mass.) scored his second career goal, and first of the season, in the 59th minute to draw the Pilgrims within one.
Turning Point
Evan MacDonald had already converted one penalty kick in the game and was granted a second early in the second half. His shot was stopped by Ferguson, but not less than four minutes later MacDonald had the last laugh, burying a putback shot past the Pilgrims keeper to make it 2-0 Salve Regina. The Pilgrims were able to draw within one, however the Seahawks were able to effectively possess the ball down the stretch and bleed the rest of the clock and preserve an opening day victory.
Key Stat of the Game
Salve Regina outshot the Pilgrims 32-11 and 16-4 in shots on goal.
Quick Hits
- Nathan Reid (Magnolia, Del.) made his second career start and made three saves to improve to 1-0-0 between the pipes for the Seahawks.
- Sam Winiarski (Maidson, N.J.) and Evan Hilbie (Berlin, Conn.) picked up the assists on MacDonald's second goal.
Quote
"It's always good to get the first 'win' of the year and I thought we did some things well at various points in the match – our possession across the midfield third was good and we were able to change the point of attack effectively. And we created a multitude of scoring chances but were only able to convert on two of them. I thought their keeper had a very good performance and did quite well keeping them in the game. And once they got their goal, we knew that our resolve was going to be tested. But I was happy with the way that we saw the match out and secured the victory." - head coach Craig O'Rourke II
Next Up
Salve Regina (1-0-0) travels to the Bridgewater State on Wednesday, September 4, at 4:30 p.m., in another non-conference matchup. New England College (0-1-0) remains on the road and will play Plymouth State on Monday, September 2.
