UMB Sports Notebook

The Beacon Spotlight

The Beacon Spotlight

Ryan Thomas

After a convincing 6-0 win that featured a first half hat trick by junior forward Henry Marin against Newbury College over the weekend, the men’s soccer team dropped their first game of the season at Suffolk University.

Going into Tuesday’s game vs. Suffolk, goalkeeper Paul Maniscalco had not allowed a goal in two games this season and was rewarded with the Little East Conference’s Co-Defensive Player of the Week Award. Maniscsalco probably would have returned the reward in favor of another shutout win against Suffolk.

Alex Cavallero and the red-hot Maynor Sanchez tallied goals for the men as they saw their 2-2 draw slide away in the 76th minute when Pierre-Yues N’Goran of Suffolk scored on a breakaway to net the eventual game-winner.

After losing seven consecutive matches, the UMass Boston volleyball team has now put together a winning streak of two. After taking their last match of the weekend at the Brandeis University Invitational, the Lady Beacons won Tuesday night at Suffolk University 3-0 as Kate White paced the offense and Emily Thompson steadied the defense as usual.

Tuesday night’s match against Suffolk was UMass’ most decisive win all season as they took three straight games 30-13, 30-21, 30-19.

After collecting an astounding 73 digs over the weekend, Emily Thompson won her first award at the collegiate level. Thompson was awarded Little East Conference Defensive Player of the Week for her great work as the team’s libero (defensive specialist).

Over the weekend at the Brandeis University Invitational, Sophomore Megan MacAuley earned All-Tournament honors by collecting 30 kills and 48 digs over four matches played by the Lady Beacons.

Since winning their fist game of the season in impressive fashion, the women’s soccer team has lost three consecutive after an 0-2 showing at the Husson Women’s Soccer Classic in Bangor, Maine over the weekend.

Saturday the women dropped their first game of the tournament to SUNY Farmingdale State University of New York 3-1, with the only UMB scoring by sophomore Erika Marsters. The game featured four yellow cards, two of them to Umass players.

Sunday’s outcome was no better for the Lady Beacons as hosts Husson College won 6-2 by scoring early and often. After only 12 minutes of play, the game was 4-0 in favor of the Husson Eagles and all but out of reach for the Lady Beacons. Erika Marsters scored her second goal of the tournament and Nicki Finnamore netted a goal as well to round out the UMB scoring.

In the annual Massachusetts Maritime Academy Cross Country Invitational, Mike Leavitt of the UMass Boston Beacons placed second in the race behind only Herrel Siller, Jr. of Newbury College. Leavitt’s time of 28:22 in the eight kilometer race was not enough to surpass Siller’s time of 28:00.

As a team, the Beacons placed second in the Invitational, coming in behind host Mass Maritime. The Beacons squad was solid as they placed three runners in the top 20. Ryan Norton (9th, 30:20) and Patrick Day (15th, 31:14) rounded out the top finishers for the UMass Men.

The Lady Beacons also performed well down the Cape as they too finished in second place behind Emmanuel College. The Beacons’ top female runner was Cassie McKenny, as she crossed the finish line ninth with a time of 23:26. Freshman Caitlin McQueen (10th, 23:30) and senior Yelena Bryant (11th, 23:24) were right on Cassie’s heels at the finish line.

Alan Wickstrom, Katie Greene and Jim Seavey contributed to this story.