UMass Boston’s men’s soccer team started their campaign with an 2-0 unrivaled win against Salve Regina University on Friday, Aug. 30.
Freshman forward Eduardo Chirico managed to net the first goal of his career as well as the season opener in the first 17 minutes of the match. This was shortly followed by a second with senior Josh DeAlmeida who managed to sneak through the Seahawks goalkeeper Gabriel Bazikas.
The second half saw a tough defensive match between the Beacons and the Seahawks. Salve Regina’s attempts to score a goal were crushed by UMass Boston’s defensive line. This half saw great physical play from both sides, ending in both the teams earning one yellow card each.
This win was soon countered with a 3-0 loss as the Beacons took on Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Tuesday, Sep. 3. Codey Battista scored the winning goal for the Engineers in the 16th minute of the first half. The second half saw two more goals by the Engineers which ensured their win.
The Beacons tried their best to score but the defensive wall of the Engineers was impenetrable. Marron Acheampong and Chirico both tried their luck, but couldn’t find the net. An opportunity for the Beacons opened up when Amir Lahkiky took over the field, but unfortunately for the Beacons, the Engineers’ defense managed to save their net.
All three of the Beacons goalkeepers took to the field, each saving one goal. JJ Devine protected the net for the entirety of first half, followed by Andy Ramirez at the start of the second half, then Victor Reyes in the last 13 minutes of the match.
The UMass Boston’s men’s soccer team has a long way to go. After starting their campaign with a win, it was followed by a heart-breaking loss, but given the Beacons record, they can bounce back stronger than before. They’ve always had a knack for making a comeback.
These two matches saw a lot of new faces take the field. They’ve grown a lot on the offensive front as well as on the defensive end. Ramirez, a graduate student, has proved to be a great addition to the goalkeeping squad. While they are yet to pick up the pace, it is still very early to know what direction this season will go in.
The team is looking forward to the season and expect a lot from themselves. The seniors are working extremely hard to make the most out of this season. Devine went through weeks of goalkeeping training throughout the spring semester and started practice with the team in the summer. The same goes for every other player on the team who has worked tirelessly.
Every single match, the Beacons give all they have on the field. The team’s end goal is not just to win, but also to learn through every single loss, and they do so gracefully. The team will try its best to bounce back at their home opener Saturday, Sept 7.
