The UMass Boston men’s soccer team took on Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday, Nov. 2. They returned home with a 1-0 win to their name, closing out the regular season with a winning streak of two.
The Beacons sat second on the LEC leaderboard as the regular season came to a close. The LEC coaches’ prophecy for UMass Boston has fallen.
The first half saw the battle of the goalies, with neither of them budging. It ended with a 0-0 score.
The second half started slow, until senior forward Logan Erickson-Potter gained possession of the ball; he dribbled until he saw free sophomore forward John Arruda in the vicinity of the Warriors’ net. Arruda fired it home and it was good for the only goal of the match. He was instrumental in securing their 1-0 win.
The Warriors tried their best to score in the second half, but as the clock wound down, their attempts became more and more desperate. The Beacons stood their ground with stellar defense at the center of the field, which was backed by graduate goalkeeper Andy Ramirez. He was recently voted goalie of the week by the Little East Conference, stepping up big time in the wake of counterpart JJ Devine’s injury.
Senior forward Josh DeAlmeida stated, “It’s definitely developing; I would recommend it to anyone. The coaching staff Marcelo, Jake and Steve work hard [with] the amount of time they are putting in to make us better every single morning, every single game. I will give them a round of applause. Honestly, from the start of the preseason I knew that we were gonna do great things, and I am not surprised at all with what the season has come to.”
“Without a doubt, we are going to win this season,” said DeAlmeida.
DeAlmeida mentioned how the coaching staff put in their all throughout the season to get the team to where they are today. Head Coach Jake Beverlin has always shown up for his team and motivates them to give it their all. DeAlmeida’s faith and confidence in the team portrays the amount of hard work that went into this season.
Like DeAlmeida, every single player aimed to bring home the LEC title. In an interview with Coach Beverlin he stated that “he doesn’t see a reason why they won’t win the title.”
This just proves how this team has banded together their hearts and motivation, and carried their confidence even through their struggles as ‘projected winners.’
The team has come a long way since last season; it can clearly be seen how well the new additions have gelled with the team and have proven impactful in their success this season. The whole team works like a well-oiled machine under an extraordinary coaching staff.
All these players are extremely passionate and committed to their sport — and their team. What started as a slow season ended in a winning streak. This season saw extraordinary sportsmanship as well as a few memorable highs: one of them being senior Nathaniel Wong’s first collegiate goal.
Their unity is their greatest strength and together they bloom. They depend on each other and support one another both on and off the field.
This article appeared in print on Page 13 of Vol. LVIII Issue VII, published Nov. 18, 2024.
