MEN’S SOCCER HOLDS ON FOR 2-2 DRAW VS. UMASS BOSTON

BOSTON, Mass. – Freshman midfielder David Field (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) netted two goals to help pace the Emmanuel College men's soccer team in a 2-2 (2OT) draw against the University of Massachusetts Boston Thursday evening at Clemente Field. With the draw the Saints now stand at 1-0-1 overall while the Beacons are still in search of their first victory with a 0-1-1 record.

Field opened the scoring just 7:00 minutes into the action, netting his first collegiate goal to put the hosts on top 1-0. Junior midfielder Danny Richman (Medfield, Mass.) found Field with a through ball from the central midfield, allowing the rookie to bury a near-side finish for the goal.

The Beacons had several good looks in the opening frame but were unable to convert as EC freshman keeper Garrett Charette recorded five saves in the half as UMass outshot Emmanuel, 11-1, but still the Saints headed into the halftime intermission with the 1-0 advantage.

Field would make it a 2-0 game at the 52:01 mark with the help of another through ball from classmate Kurt Pruner (Penfield, N.Y.). Pruner slipped a pass through the Beacons back line, finding Field in stride before the midfielder put away a left-footed finish to the far post to give EC the two-goal cushion.

Just over four minute later, UMass Boston responded to cut the deficit in half and make it a 2-1 game when senior defender Victor Huge Costa (Malden, Mass.) connected on a direct kick from just outside the 18-yard box that eluded the Emmanuel wall and Charette.

The Beacons would tie it up at 2-all off another set piece at the 71:16 marker immediately following an Emmanuel foul. Sophomore midfielder Douglas Silviera (Revere, Mass.) sent a well struck ball into the Emmanuel box from 30 yards out which bounded around before finding the foot of senior midfielder Brian Sanz (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) on the six-yard line. Sanz calmly deposited the ball into the back of the Saints net to even the score at 2-2.

Emmanuel would have the best chance to win the contest in regulation as Field sent a ball from the midfield deep into the box which found senior forward Kevin Shirley's (Madison, Conn.) diving head but the shot sailed over the UMB goal with just under four minutes to play in the second half.

In the first overtime session, the Beacons appeared to end the contest just 50 seconds into the period as senior midfielder Reyn Johnson (Mangilao, Guam) took a through-ball from junior forward Stefanos Galouzis (Watertown, Mass.) and fired a shot into the back of the net but the play was called back with due to an offside call. Just 30 seconds later, Emmanuel had its best look in the period as Field was able to break free with a one-on-one situation with UMB senior keeper Brycen Dowd (Mansfield, Mass.). Dowd was able to come up with a huge save to his left, fully extending to get a piece of Field's shot which was headed toward the lower corner of the Beacon's goal.

In the second overtime frame, Field and Dowd would square off yet again in another one-on-one breakaway but this time Field beat Dowd to the keeper's left only for the shot to come up just wide of the goal.

The Beacons would outshoot the Saints 26-11 on the night while also holding a 6-3 advantage in corner kicks.

Charette collected 12 saves in net for EC while Dowd registered four saves for the Beacons.

Emmanuel will return to action on Saturday when they host Lasell College at 1:00 PM in their Great Northeast Athletic Conference opener while the Beacons head to Husson University to take on Husson in the opening round of the Husson Invitational.