Seahawks suffer first conference loss at UNE, 2-0

BIDDEFORD, Maine - Although the Salve Regina men's soccer team outshot its opponent by a 21-6 margin, the Seahawks were unable to break through, suffering their first Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) loss of the season in a 2-0 decision versus the University of New England on Saturday afternoon at Barbara J. Hazard Field.

The win snapped a four-game UNE losing streak at the hands of the Seahawks (9-3-1, 4-1-0 CCC), and was just the second Big Blue victory in the last 12 meetings between the teams. The Nor'easters now stand at 6-6 overall and 2-3 in conference outings.

Already holding a 1-0 advantage, courtesy of an SRU own goal in the 12th minute, UNE sophomore Sean Goodrich (Gorham, N.H.) doubled the margin for the hosts in the 41st minute. Senior Ethan Wells (Franconia, N.H.) set up the play on the left side with a serve towards the far post, and Goodrich ran under it to put a header just under the crossbar for his first tally of the year.

On two occasions in the opening 45 minutes, Big Blue sophomore goalkeeper Aidan McParland (Brockville, Ontario) made key stops to keep his side in front. SRU sophomore Zachary Kraft (Tenafly, N.J.) provided the first test in the 15th minute, with a low, hard shot from in close that McParland pushed away with a dive to the left. Ten minutes later, sophomore Issa Demirgioglu (Smithfield, R.I.) put one on frame from the top of the box, forcing McParland to punch the chance up over the goal.

The Seahawks continued to apply pressure in the final stanza, amassing a 13-1 edge in shots during the period. McParland was again up to the task of stopping Salve's most-threatening second-half attempt in the 63rd minute, diving to his left to deny a well-placed free kick try from 25 yards out off the foot of Demirgioglu.

For the contest, McParland registered nine saves. On the other end of the field, first-years Daniel Stern (Kings Park, N.Y.) and Jeffrey L'Heureux (Litchfield, N.H.) split time between the posts for the Seahawks, with Stern posting four stops in the initial frame.

Both squads are back in action on Wednesday. The Nor'easters entertain Johnson & Wales University in a non-conference game beginning at 4 p.m. Salve Regina heads to nearby Roger Williams University for a 7 p.m. battle of the CCC's top two teams.

Release Courtesy of UNE Sports Information