Three second-half goals give Gordon win over Salve Regina

NEWPORT, R.I. (October 16, 2021) - Salve Regina University and Gordon College waged a scoreless battle for the first 65 minutes of Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) men's soccer action at Toppa Field before Scots' senior Ryan Modzeleski (Cazenovia, N.Y.) capitalized on a non-call for an offside flag to lead the visitors to a 3-0 win over the Seahawks.

Series and Streaks
Gordon improves to 21-13-3 in the all-time series with Salve Regina, and the Scots have never lost on the Toppa turf (2-0-1) in three matches.

Three Stars of the Game

1. Gordon graduate student Chase Gwynn (Apopka, Fla.) finished off the scoring after a slot feed from senior Luckson Dambo (Belmont, Mass.).
2. Gordon senior Ryan Modzeleski (Cazenovia, N.Y.) ran onto the cross from freshman Benji Wright (Franklin, Tenn.) as Seahawk defenders were frozen by an apparent offsides' flag.
3. Salve Regina sophomore Jordan Borges (Milford, Mass.) led the Seahawks with three shots (all on goal) and took all corner kicks.

Key Stat of the Game
Gordon had slight edges in shots (17-13), saves (6-5), corner kicks (4-3), and fouls (13-12).

Turning Point
Gordon senior Ryan Modzeleski (Cazenovia, N.Y.) ran onto the cross from freshman Benji Wright (Franklin, Tenn.) as Seahawk defenders were frozen by an apparent offsides' flag.

Quick Hits

• Last time the Seahawks defeated the Scots in Newport came nine years ago. In 2012, Craig O'Rourke's Seahawks won the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) title and defeated Gordon in the regular season (3-2) and postseason (2-1) on Reynolds Field.
• Salve Regina slips into third place in the CCC, behind second-place Endicott whom the Seahawks had defeated in overtime (2-1) earlier this week.
• Nathan Reid (Magnolia, Del.) made five saves while his personal record slipped to 8-3-1.
• Brody Veleber (Coatesville, Pa.) made six saves in the shutout to improve to 6-4-2 for Gordon.
• Two years ago in Wenham, Salve Regina defeated Gordon, 4-0.
• Seahawks suffer their third shutout loss of the season; only other losses were 2-1 to Johnson & Wales (Sept. 5) and Wentworth (Oct. 9).

Quotables
Seahawk head coach Craig O'Rourke II -- "This was a tough and honestly frustrating match in that, having now looked at the film and seen the sequence of events that led up to the first goal, I honestly don't believe that it should have stood. The player in the offside position did affect the play in that two Salve backs moved to play that Gordon player. In that instance, he affected the play and thus the definition of when the offside position becomes truly offsides under Law 11 was met. The agonizing thing for all of us is that the referee crew saw that there was a player offsides and signaled it by putting the flag up. In that instance, they acknowledge that they recognized it. To then tell us afterwards that it was a mistake to put the flag up when the film clearly shows that it was not and that the Gordon player in the offside position did truly affect the play, and again meet the definition of offsides, is just very, very difficult for all of us to have to stomach after such a defeat where that was the match critical moment that completely changed the game."

"But I don't want to take anything away from Gordon because they were honestly the better team tonight. The 'flag-up, flag-down' referee indecision may have created the chance for them but they still had to score it and they finished the opportunity very well. And then tacked on two more that were likewise finished very well. They deserved the three points tonight and I tip my hat in acknowledgement of their efforts. We now have to re-group and get ready for our next match which will be a tough one in that Western New England is so different from us. Their direct nature and physical style of play is something that we will need to prepare for and be ready to overcome when we take the field for our next match day."

Next Up
Salve Regina (9-5-1, 4-2-0 CCC) hosts Western New England University at Toppa Field on Wednesday, October 20 ( 7 p.m.). Gordon (7-4-2, 3-2-1 CCC) returns home to Wenham, Mass., to host Roger Williams University on the same night.