Back on Top: Western New England Claims Sixth CCC Title with 4-1 Victory at Wentworth

Remillard nets two goals as Golden Bears earn first trip to NCAA Tournament since '13

BOSTON, Mass. (November 5, 2016) – The Western New England University men's soccer team scored four unanswered goals, including three in the second half, to claim its sixth Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) title since 2007 with a 4-1 victory over the Wentworth Institute of Technology this afternoon at Sweeney Field.

With the win, the fourth-seeded Golden Bears (11-9-1) earn the CCC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, which gets underway with first round action on November 12-13. The NCAA announces first round pairings on Monday at 1 p.m. Second-seeded Wentworth sees its season come to a close at 13-4-4.

Top Performers
• Junior forward Troy Remillard (Palmer, Mass.) capped his dominant run through the CCC Tournament with two more goals, including the tally that would stand as the game-winner early in the second half. He scored two goals in each of Western New England's three postseason victories, bringing his total to 17 this season.
• Senior goalkeeper Kevin Strobel (Rockland, Mass.) stopped six of the seven shots that he faced and shut Wentworth out over the final 84:28 after surrendering an early goal.
• Senior midfielder Kory Caster (Wilbraham, Mass.) provided an assist on Remillard's game-winner before finding the back of the net himself less than three minutes later.

• Senior Alec Watkinson (Merrimack, N.H.) scored Wentworth's lone goal early in the contest.

Match Review
• Watkinson gave the Leopards a 1-0 advantage just 5:32 into the match after taking a pass from junior midfielder Matt Cicalis (Bridgewater, Mass.) and firing a shot that hit the left post before deflecting into the goal.
• Western New England equalized in the 35^th minute, when senior midfielder Ryan Dickinson (South Hadley, Mass.) found the back of the net with a shot just inside the right post.
• The Golden Bears then pulled ahead just 29 seconds into the second half, as Caster sent a long pass down the middle of the field to Remillard, who beat Wentworth sophomore goalkeeper Joe Schallmo (Norwood, Mass.) to his right.
• Less than three minutes later, Caster got in on the action, scoring his second of the season on a feed from junior forward Maurice Young (Walpole, Mass.).
• Remillard sealed Western New England's victory in the 72^nd minute, when he carried the ball down the field and fired an unassisted strike into the right side of the net.

Senior captains (from left) Kevin Strobel, Neil Williams and Brandon Bolger with the CCC championship trophy. (Photo by SportsPix)

Notes
• The Golden Bears have never lost in their six trips to the CCC championship match, claiming three straight titles from 2007-09, before earning the conference crown again in both 2011 and 2013. Western New England has won eight overall conference championships in its storied history, as the program captured GNAC titles in 2004 and 2006.
• The Golden Bears outshot the Leopards by a slim 15-14 margin, while Wentworth held a 6-1 advantage in corner kicks.
• Western New England will enter the NCAA Tournament on a six-match unbeaten streak, with five victories and a 2-2 draw at Endicott in the CCC semifinals on Wednesday (the Golden Bears advanced via a 5-3 victory in the penalty kick shootout).
• Remillard has scored seven goals over the last four games and nine goals over the last six contests. He now has 37 points (17 goals, three assists) this fall.