MANCHESTER, N.H. - Sophomore
Estevão Gouveia (Nashua, N.H.) scored his third goal in the last two games to lift the Saint Anselm College men's soccer team to a 1-0 Northeast-10 Conference victory over Southern Connecticut State University from Grappone Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
UP NEXT:
- Saint Anselm is back on the road next week, traveling to The College of Saint Rose on Tuesday, September 26th and Assumption University on Sunday, October 1st.
Score: Saint Anselm 1, Southern Connecticut State 0
Records: Saint Anselm (3-3-2, 2-0-1 Northeast-10); Southern Connecticut State (2-4-1, 1-2-0 Northeast-10)
Location: Manchester, N.H. (Grappone Stadium)
Date: Saturday, September 23, 2023
Attendance: 167
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- In the sixth minute of the game, Saint Anselm got their offense started on the counter-attack when Josue Assantha (Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo) found some space in the midfield. The senior drove forward before playing a ball down the right wing to classmate Zach Verow (Bedford, N.H.), who raced to the end-line and served in a pass before the ball would go out of bounds. His cross got through two Southern Connecticut State defenders and found junior James Poschmann (Bedford, N.H.) on the back side of the box. Poschmann played a one-time pass of his own back in front of goal, where Gouveia was waiting to tap home his third goal of the season to put the Hawks ahead, 1-0.
- Just over 20 minutes into the match, Southern Connecticut State's Zachary Tuccitto made a beautiful move by faking a right-footed attempt and cutting back on to his left foot, then firing a shot that just missed the lower right corner of the goal. Moments later, Tuccitto ripped a knuckling shot on goal from outside the box, but Saint Anselm sophomore goalkeeper David Hood (Manchester, N.H.) made a comfortable save, his second of the game.
- The Owls continued to gain momentum and in the 28th minute, nearly found the back of the net. Zico Groenveld curled in a corner-kick that found teammate Alex da Cunha, who's header bounced off the right post. The Owls kept the ball in the attacking third and nearly scored again when Umberto Catale collected a pass on top of the six-yard box, but his shot was blocked by Saint Anselm junior Aiden Lehane (Assonet, Mass.). The rebound came out to the top of the 18-yard box to da Cunha, who fired another shot that rang off the right post for the second time in the sequence.
- Less than a minute later, Tuccitto was attacking down the right wing again for the Owls. He cut to his left foot and bent a shot that got around Hood, but hit the woodwork for the third time of the half for Southern Connecticut State.
- Gouveia came close to scoring his second goal of the match a minute into the second half when he got around da Cunha on Southern Connecticut State's back line and dribbled to goal, but his shot from the top of the box was stopped by Owls goalkeeper Devin Juan.
- Hood was forced into action immediately following the Hawks' offensive chance, making a diving save on a one-time shot from Southern Connecticut State's Ozar Razo. Hood made another diving save a few minutes later on Groenveld's strike to the bottom right corner.
- In the 62nd minute, Hawks junior Samuel Assantha (Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo) got to work on the left wing, taking on multiple Owl defenders before getting into the box and firing a shot that hit the outside of the right post.
- Southern Connecticut State would have a number of shots and corner-kicks in the closing half hour, but the Owls could not get past Hood and the Saint Anselm defense as the Hawks held on for their second straight win to remain unbeaten in Northeast-10 Conference play.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Southern Connecticut State outshot Saint Anselm 20-8 in the game, while also holding a 5-2 advantage in shots on goal.
- The Owls had seven corner-kicks in the match, while the Hawks had five.
- Hood recorded five saves in his second consecutive shutout for the Hawks, while Juan tallied one save in goal for the Owls.
- Gouveia scored his third goal in the last two games and leads the team in goals scored with three. Poschmann recorded his second assist of the season, which is tied for second-most on the squad.
- This marked the 26th all-time meeting between Saint Anselm and Southern Connecticut State, with this game marking just the sixth win for the Hawks over the Owls.
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