LATE SCORING FLURRY PROPELS RAMS PAST SAINTS

SOMERVILLE, Mass. - Suffolk University scored a flurry of goals in the final four minutes of regulation to top the Emmanuel College Saints in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's soccer action on Wednesday evening.  The win boosts the Rams to 5-3 overall and 2-2 in GNAC play.  The Saints, who are on a three-game slide, drop to 1-4-2 on the season and 0-3 in the league.

Freshman Jorge Panayotti (Tegucigalpa, Honduras) broke a scoreless tie in the eighty-sixth minute of the game as he flipped a ball in off his head for his second tally of the season for what would turn out to be the game-winning goal for the Rams.

Junior Christian Gnonlonfoun (Porto-Novo, Benin) would tally his team-leading seventh goal of the season just ninety seconds after Panayotti broke the ice, as he converted a feed from senior Ben Rollins (Lee, N.H.) to give the Rams some insurance. Sophomore Andres Cohen (Caracas, Venezuela) would cap the game for Rams, scoring just thirty seconds later as he took a pass from Rollins and then his shot ricocheted off a Saints defender and found the back of the net

The trio of Rams goals happened in just three minutes, changing the complexion of a game that had been a back and forth offensive battle throughout the night.  Prior to the scoring, both teams combined for 39 shots, but neither could gain the advantage as each piled up squandered opportunities.

Junior Danny Richman (Medfield, Mass.) led the Saints with five shots on the evening, while freshman Stefano Sainato (Albany, N.Y.) missed on two scoring chances in the final twenty minutes of the game. Sainato took a feed from junior Ryan Brady (Springfield, Vt.) and rifled a shot from 20 yards out that hit the top crossbar just inches away from giving the Saints the lead. Nine minutes later Sainato had another chance to score as freshman Suffolk goalkeeper Nicholas Chamma (Rio de Janero, Brazil) came out of the goal area to play a loose ball. Sainato grabbed the ball but missed a wide open net as his shot sailed left of the target.

Cohen led all offensive players with 10 shots on the evening as the Rams outshot the Saints 27-15. The sophomore forward finished the evening with a goal and an assist, while Rollins registered assists on the final two Suffolk goals.

Chamma picked up his fifth win of the season for the Rams in goal, registering his third shutout of the season and second this week. He had five saves on the evening.  Sophomore Garrett Charette (West Springfield, Mass.) took the loss, but made nine saves in the game for the Saints.

Both teams will be back in action on Saturday afternoon. Emmanuel will host MIT in non-conference action beginning at 1:00pm. Suffolk hosts Johnson & Wales University in GNAC action at Dilboy Stadium beginning at 2:00pm.

- Courtesy of Suffolk University Sports Information