While the broken up bay breeze cooled the Clark Athletic Center field on Thursday afternoon the UMass Boston Men’s soccer team was glowing white and blue hot. The Beacons strutted to 2-0 on the season after taking it to the Newbury College Nighthawks 8-1. Freshman forward Andre Mercury not only scored his first career collegiate goal, what’s more, he scored two more for the hat trick. Another freshman forward, Tony Moreno, performed a little magic of his own, as he tallied up two goals and two assists. Likewise, two-time varsity letter-winning junior Alejandro Lopez put in a first half pair of his own.
Moreno got the scoring exhibition underway at 10:59. Sean Vauldrin drew the Nighthawks’ goalkeeper out of the net and sophomore James Ocampo fed the rebound to Moreno who sent it into the net. Both Vauldrin and Ocampo were credited for an assist. Seconds later Moreno missed a shot high over the crossbar, nevertheless, at 26:12 he scored the Beacons’ second goal of the day with the soft touch making it 2-0. On this goal the persistent Maynor Sanchez did the assisting.
A minute later Alejandro Lopez netted one of his two of the day on a penalty kick. It was soon 4-0 Beacons when at 29:49 Andre Mercury pulled his first out of his hat by footing one in off the dual assist by Ocampo and Lopez. The Beacons’ perfect game was spoiled for the second time in a row by the sole opposition goal. The Nighthawks’ Rob Nunes found Yusuf Cayhan on the cross, which retired their zero on the scoreboard.
No more than thirty seconds later Alejandro Lopez put a wave in the net with his second of the day. The wave rolled off the assist pass from Tony Moreno. The sea only calmed until defender David Lococo darted past midfield and discovered fellow sophomore classman Matt Romano, who netted his second goal of the season and the Beacons’ sixth of the day.
From there on it was all Andre. Mercury won a one-on-one challenge with Gutierrez the Nighthawks’ goalkeeper for his second, which put the Beacons up by a touchdown at the half. The Beacons flashed once in the second half. Again, Mercury branded one with the double M connection. Moreno hooked up with Mercury who sent a weed burner in the net at 49:03. The majority of the second half was consumed by a passing/ ball handling clinic put on by the Beacons, which was somewhat reminiscent of a game of keep away being played by school yard bullies.
UMass nearly squared the Nighthawks’ six shots on goal with thirty-five of their own. The 8-1 win gives the Beacons an average winning margin of 6-1 in their first two games of the 2003 season.
