Lanzillo's Blast Gives WNE 1-0 Win over Nor'easters

Biddeford, Maine (October 15, 2022) - WNE headed up to Biddeford, Maine, for a matchup with the Nor'Easters of UNE. WNE was coming off a 5-1 defeat they suffered at the hands of Salve Regina University on Wednesday. UNE was hoping to get their first win of the year.

Records:

• Western New England: 7-5-3 (3-2-0)
• University of New England: 0-12-2 (0-5-0)

How it Happened:

UNE started with the ball to kick off the game. The ball went from team to team with little offense developing before WNE got the first opportunity in the 7th minute. Ian Alves generated that opportunity by sending a low shot at UNE GK Triston O'Hagan. O'Hagan made another stop in the 12th minute when Mike Riley had a shot toward the left of the net. After that, UNE tried to muster up some offense, but WNE kept the pressure on throughout the next several minutes, and it paid off. Sean Lanzillo found himself dribbling up into the penalty box and then sent a shot toward the lower right side of the net. O'Hagan attempted the save, but the ball got past him and came in contact with the back of the net to put WNE up 1-0. Once play started again, WNE immediately got the ball back and made another push at goal. The UNE defense stayed strong, though. UNE pushed back, and in the 25th minute, they got their first shot off when Mo Bah sent a shot at net, but it sailed high and went over the woodwork for a goal kick. For several minutes, the ball bounced from one team to the other, but Alves then sent another shot at O'hagan. This one was toward the lower left corner, but O'Hagan still made the save. Malik Serriser followed that opportunity in the 33rd minute with a shot, but missed high of the net. There were no more shots taken after that one. Both sides pushed at the goals for the rest of the half, but neither saw a major opportunity arise. 

WNE controlled the majority of the ball and shots in the first half. The Golden Bears had five shots during the half, with three on net. UNE only had one shot, and it did not test WNE GK Roger Leland. There was only one corner kick in the first half, and it belonged to WNE. However, UNE was able to defend it. Lastly, WNE also had most of the fouls, as they were called for ten fouls, and UNE was only called for two. It was a very tight first half, but Lanzillo's goal proved to be the difference maker as WNE carried a 1-0 lead going into halftime.

As the second half began, WNE immediately set out to get the second goal and double their lead. First, Mike Riley tried to put a shot on net, but a UNE defender got in front of it to block it from getting to the net. That was followed in the 50th minute by Brandon Lewis putting his foot on the ball, but again the ball was blocked. UNE then made a push at WNE's net, trying to tie up the game, and ended up with their 54th-minute corner kick. That corner led to a Luca DiTursi shot for UNE's first shot of the second half. However, the shot did not bother Leland as it sailed up and over the net. WNE would get back on the offensive and, in the 60th minute, had another opportunity to strengthen their lead. Still, O'Hagan was not letting up another goal as he made the save in the lower right part of the net that Malik Serriser sent toward him. WNE kept the pressure up throughout the second half. In the 64th minute, Alves put another shot on the net, but again it slid wide, and O'Hagan did not have to make a save on it. As the game started to get toward the dying embers, it was obvious that UNE was trying to ramp up the pressure on the Golden Bears, but the defense would not cave. They stayed strong and parried away any attack UNE tried to put up. That was coupled with the midfielders keeping possession and pushing the ball down the field to run more time off the clock. The rest of the game saw many pushes made by both teams, but no more shots or major opportunities. That meant WNE ended up with the hard-fought 1-0 win over UNE, bouncing back from the last game.

WNE still dominated the final stat line. WNE had more shots (10-2), more shots on goal (5-0), and more fouls (19-14). UNE had four saves to WNE's zero saves, but UNE also had no shots that made it on the net. Nevertheless, it was a defensive shutout for the Golden Bears and a big confidence boost for the team as they now head into a CCC matchup with Suffolk University on Wednesday.

Inside the Lines:

• The Western New England Golden Bears headed to Maine to take on UNE.
• Sean Lanzillo opened up the scoring with his goal in the 19th minute. He sent a shot right past the UNE GK and buried it in the bottom-right side of the net.
• The UNE GK, Triston O'Hagan, kept the game close with four saves.
• The WNE defense came up big and limited the Nor'Easters to only two shots and none on net to preserve a shutout win.
• Lanzillo's goal was enough to lift WNE to a 1-0 win over UNE.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• WNE will stay on the road as they head out to Boston to take on Suffolk University in a Tuesday night showdown at 7:00 pm on October 15.
• UNE heads to Wentworth for a matchup on Wednesday, October 15, at 7:00 pm.