BOSTON, Mass. – Junior midfielder Nick Brown (Somerset, Mass.) put home a penalty kick with 3:33 remaining in the second overtime to lift the Wentworth men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Roger Williams in The Commonwealth Coast Conference opener for both teams.
The early stages of the game saw both teams battling each other as well as heavy rain that began just before the start of the game. The elements would play a factor early, as neither team was able to control the game.
With 3:17 remaining in the half, the visiting Hawks were able to break the ice when junior forward Jared Falconer (Ludlow, Mass.) served a pass to freshman midfielder Billy Kissane (Glastonbury, Conn.). Kissane then fired a shot which beat Leopard junior Brian Pearsall (Sanford, Maine) to the right side.
The game would remain 1-0 in favor of Roger Williams until the 87th minute. Wentworth sophomore midfielder Dan Santacroce (Northford, Conn.) took a shot that was blocked out of bounds, off the end line. On the ensuing corner kick, freshman midfielder Jeremy Nasman (Lenox, Mass.) served the ball into the box, where junior midfielder John Canuto (Weymouth, Mass.) headed it home to tie the game with 3:44 remaining.
Wentworth would hold a 3-1 shot advantage in the first overtime, with two of the three shots going on goal, but could not capitalize.
Roger Williams had a pair of chances early in the second overtime, including a header off of a corner kick that sailed wide right of the goal.
The Leopards ended the game at 106:27 when a player was taken down inside the 18-yard box. Brown was selected to take the penalty kick and would bury the shot to the right side.
Pearsall made four saves for Wentworth, while junior Peter Plate (Commack, N.Y.) turned away seven shots for the Hawks. The Leopards held a 19-16 advantage in shots, including 11-7 over the final 61:27.
Wentworth won its second straight game to improve to 2-2 (1-0 TCCC) and the win against the Hawks was just the third in the last 13 meetings between the two schools. Roger Williams falls to 3-2 (0-1). The Leopards are idle until a week from today when they travel to Eastern Nazarene, while the Hawks are back in action tomorrow at Wheaton.
