UMass Boston’s men’s soccer team started out their first home match hot against Plattsburgh State Saturday, Sept 7. Unfortunately, they were unable to take home a victory — it just wasn’t in the cards for the Beacons.
Even though their momentum fell short, the Beacons managed to end the game in a tie. This game saw a total of 20 fouls, which shows how tight of a fight it was.
Senior, Logan Potter assisted John Arruda, who found the back of the net, bringing the Beacons to a 1-0. The Beacons opened the match, but their celebrations were short-lived, as in the last ten minutes John Hayes of Plattsburgh State managed to even the score with a goal of their own, bringing it down to a 1-1 tie.
The team later hit the road for a play at Wheaton College Sunday, Sept 8. The match saw the same fate as the Beacon’s home opener. Leao Nelson of the Lyons managed to cut through the team’s defense and slip a goal in the 31st minute.
This put the Beacons under great pressure to get at least one goal on the net. Potter and Arruda took it upon themselves to earn a goal for the team. Potter gave a stellar assist, which found Arruda’s foot and then the back of the net, bringing the Beacons up to a 1-1.
After managing just, a single shot in the first half, the Beacons regained their momentum in the second half putting away seven shots on the goal.
Senior goalkeeper, Andy Ramirez finished the match with five saves bringing in a spectacular early season total to 13 saves.
The Beacons seem to be having a series of tough matches and a bit of trouble regaining their momentum, but hopefully they can still bounce back and make the most of the season. There are a series of matches left for our team to change the trajectory of the season and make the most of it.
The Beacons perseverance is what makes them stand out among the other teams that compete in Division III — their unity is their greatest strength. A lot is expected from the Beacons by the Coaches of Little East Conference, as they were voted LEC favorites.
No matter what twists and turns this season takes, UMass Boston’s men’s soccer team had a lot of potential then, and still do. They just need to be able to successfully unlock and channel it.
