Men’s Soccer Conclude Regular Season with Loss to Bridgewater State

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.—The MCLA Men's Soccer team opened the game by putting significant pressure on Bridgewater but could not solve the defense, eventually falling in the regular season finale 3-0 at Shewcraft Field this evening.

 THE BASICS:

• Date: Friday, October 27, 2023
• Score: Bridgewater State 3, MCLA 0
• Records: Bridgewater State Bears 10-2-5 (MASCAC 6-0-1) | MCLA Trailblazers 5-7-3 (MASCAC 1-4-2)

SENIOR DAY

Before the first game, the Trailblazers recognized their graduating senior class as part of senior night. JC Aponte, Tyler Canata, and Tyler Cotting were honored by coaches, teammates, family members, and fans for their time with the soccer program. Although their time with the program may end, they will forever be a part of the MCLA family.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• MCLA started the game looking like a team that knew their season could be on the line. Needing a win to guarantee themselves a spot in the MASCAC playoffs, the Trailblazers took an up-tempo approach, taking seven shots in the first 26 minutes. MCLA had several opportunities on the goal's doorstep, but each time was just short of finding the back of the net. Their best chance came in the 17^th minute off a free kick from Reynaldo Castro near midfield. He booted the ball to Traizen Griffith just to the right of the six-yard box. Griffith tapped the ball to Jacob Malburg in front of the net, but a Bears defender blocked his first effort. The Bridgewater keeper also saved Malburg's second chance to hold the sheet clean as the ball bounced out of the box to another BSU defender.
• Bridgewater put the first tally on the board in the 33^rd minute off the foot of Dominek Borden with assists by Will Halben and William Russell. Following a save of a high shot by the Trailblazers, goalkeeper Russell punted the ball ahead to Halben. Halben nodded the ball forward to Borden, who outran an MCLA defender and sent the ball to the far corner of the net under the keeper's dive.
• Despite having some of the wind taken from their sails, the score remained 1-0 until the 62^nd minute when Nicholas Ribeiro passed the ball from the right corner to a streaking Filippo Mucci, who cut through three Trailblazer defenders to double the Bears' lead with a goal from about five yards out.
• Bridgewater would add an insurance goal in the 84^th minute off a corner kick from Mucci. Mucci's entry pass found Matthew Garcia near the top of the box, and he fired a shot that weaved its way into the goal.
• Trailblazers' keeper Oliver Le Lacheur saw his record drop to 1-2-1 while recording seven saves in the loss, and the Bears' Russell improved to 10-2-4 and recorded seven saves as well.

UP NEXT:

The Men's Soccer team will await the results of other conference games to determine their place in the MASCAC playoff picture. Check the MCLA Athletics social media on Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter) for more details as they become available.