Lions reach lucky 13 in a row

NORTH QUINCY, Mass. (October 19, 2019) -- The Eastern Nazarene College men's soccer team earned a thrilling 5-3 win over Salve Regina University Saturday afternoon at Creedon Field on Homecoming weekend to extend its program-record winning-streak to 13-consecutive matches.

The Lions improve to 13-1-0 on the year with their first victory over Salve Regina since 2002. The Seahawks fall to 9-4-3 overall with the result.

The home side chalked up the opening goal in the 27th minute to snag a 1-0 edge. Ismael Lobo (Brockton, Mass.) drilled a header into the back of the net to bag his first goal of the season. Sunil Lepcha (Damak, Nepal) curled a corner kick delivery into the box to register his third assist of the year.

The visitors responded with a goal in the 29th minute to level the match at 1-1. Noah Medeiros headed home his fourth tally of the fall off of a corner kick delivery by Evan MacDonald.

Eastern Nazarene recorded six shots in the opening stanza while Salve Regina generated nine attempts.

The Lions reclaimed a one-goal advantage in the 55th minute, 2-1. Bryan Vargas (San Jose, Costa Rica) knocked in his second marker of the year after Charlie Swann (London, England) dished a pass to an unmarked Vargas inside the box.

The hosts pushed their lead to 3-1 in the 58th minute. After a misplayed clearance by the Seahawks' goalkeeper, Vargas gathered the loose ball outside the box and fired a left-footed shot into the open cage for his second tally of the contest and third of the fall.

Eastern Nazarene tacked on its fourth goal of the match in the 61st minute to widen the margin to 4-1. Swann notched his league-leading 14th goal of the season as Edmilson Centeio (Fogo, Cape Verde) provided the assist.

Salve Regina cut the deficit to 4-2 in the 66th minute. Jacob Guerra finished off a feed from Casey Kelly to net his fifth marker of the season.

The Lions regained a three-goal gap in the 69th minute, 5-2. Leon Zaffonato (Canela, Brazil) slotted a left-footed shot past the on-rushing goalkeeper to score his eighth tally of the fall while Centeio picked up his second assist of the game.

The Seahawks narrowed the margin to 5-3 in the 81st minute as Matthew Warshaw buried his first goal of the season off of an assist by Michael Manousos.

Eastern Nazarene concluded the contest with 12 shots and a pair of corner kicks. Salve Regina manufactured 19 shots on the day and earned four corners.

Junior netminder Tim Eddings (Endicott, N.Y.) finished with nine saves, including a clutch penalty-kick stop in the 88th minute.