Men's Soccer Scores 3-0 GNAC Win at Elms

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Saints men's soccer saved one of their strongest offensive outputs for a perfect time, claiming a 3-0 win over the Elms Blazers on Saturday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference play at Timothy J. Leary Field.

The three-goal victory moves the Saints into the final playoff spot in the GNAC table with one game remaining in the regular season for Emmanuel and the three teams fighting for the final spots in Anna Maria, Lasell, and Rivier.

The Saints got on the board late in the first half with senior Zachary Barown (Colebrook, Conn.) scoring his second of the season. A cross from the left side of the box from junior Richie Hickson (Woodstock, Conn.) skipped through the penalty area and found Barown on the back post, who fired a shot into a wide-open net for a 1-0 lead.

Emmanuel doubled the advantage in the 53^rd minute with sophomore Joe Anderson (Tampa, Fla.) netting his third of the year. Anderson received a perfect laid-off pass at the top of the penalty area and his right-footed strike found the bottom-right corner, boosting the EC lead.

First-year Guilherme Silva (Malden, Mass.) added insurance in the 81^st minute, gathering a loose ball 10 yards away from the Elms goal and getting off a left-footed effort, into the back of the net, for his third goal of the campaign.

Sophomore Maddox Pierce (Meriden, Conn.) picked up the win for the Saints, making a pair of stops in the victory.

The Saints (5-10-1, 4-8-1 GNAC) are in control of their playoff fate and welcome Rivier to Clemente Field for the final match of the regular season on Oct. 24 at 7:00 p.m. Emmanuel, Anna Maria, Lasell, and Rivier all remain in contention for the final playoff seeds. Only two spots remain with these four teams still in contention.