Trio of Golden Bear Goals Pushes WNE Past Wentworth, Lock Up Three Seed in CCC Tournament

Springfield, Mass. (October 25, 2022) - The Western New England Golden Bears returned to the pitch today for the final regular season game of the year. The men's team hoped to rebound from their tough 1-0 loss to Roger Williams on Saturday. The Golden Bears hosted the Wentworth Institute of Technology Leopards in a battle that, if WNE won, would see them lock up the third overall seed in the CCC tournament. 

Records:

• Western New England: 9-6-3 (6-3-0)
• Wentworth Institute of Technology: 4-10-3 (2-6-1)

How it Happened:

WNE came out of the gate firing with a shot in the 1st minute of play that a WIT player blocked. Wentworth answered with a shot of their own in the fifth minute, but it slid wide of the net and out of the reach of WNE GK Roger Leland. In the 8th minute, Wentworth sent their first shot at Leland. Jacob Dukeshire sent a shot at Leland, who made the comfortable save. That was followed up nearly half a minute later by Mike Milazzo firing a shot at WIT's GK Louis Quintero. After that, the teams started to settle into the game, with WNE controlling the ball and passing it from side to side, trying to set up a scoring opportunity. However, Wentworth secured the first major opportunity and goal of the afternoon. Number 22, Nick Lenz, ran at the net and was found by his teammate TJ Prouty. Lenz got control of the ball and sent the ball just under and past the charging and diving Leland. The Leopards now led 1-0 early in the first half of play. 

After a quick talk from the captain, Sean O'Neill, the team put the ball back in play and were more fired up than before. Sean O'Neill pushed the team forward, knowing that a win was necessary. O'Neill sent a free kick shot at a wall to get things going. It bounced high, but WNE controlled it. The 21st minute saw Carlson Rose go for goal, but the shot was steered wide of Quintero and the net. Matt Spruill got in on the action in the 27th minute with a shot wide of the net. Jonny Clough then sent a shot on net that Quintero had to turn away from net in the 28th minute. The Golden Bears quickly grabbed the ball, and in the 29th minute, Connor Swanson controlled the ball before finding Mike Milazzo streaking at the net. Milazzo got the ball and sent a rocket of a shot with his right foot past a lunging Quintero. The ball kissed the back of the net and made the score 1-1. WNE did not stop there. Swanson tested Quintero just over a minute later. Quintero was able to save that one. Dukeshire sent a shot back at Leland a minute after that to give Wentworth some life. After entering the game as a sub, Malik Serisser immediately impacted the game. In the 34th minute, he sent a shot at Quintero, but he made the save. WNE stayed on the attack during the end of the first half sending multiple shots wide and high of the net. 

To end the first half, with 13 seconds left in half number one, WNE had the opportunity to strike again and lead the Leopards going into halftime. After a WIT foul was called, Sean O'Neill stepped up to take the free kick. As he strode forward, he sent a left-footing curler toward the mass of players in the penalty box. The ball fell right at Serisser's feet and would not be denied this time. Serisser slotted it past Quintero and into the back of the net to give the Golden Bears a 2-1 lead going into halftime.

At the break, the stat line showed the same game as the scoreboard. WNE had most of the possession, with 15 shots taken to WIT's four. Six shots were on target for the Golden Bears, with four being saved by Quintero. Three shots were on target for the Leopards. Leland made two of the three save opportunities. Both teams only had one corner kick awarded to them, and Wentworth was called for seven fouls, whereas WNE was only called for three. It was a tight game at the half, and WNE still had plenty of work to claim the win.

The second half started similarly to the first half. WNE had a shot in the 47th minute. Sean Lanzillo had an opportunity to the left of the goal, but just pushed the shot wide. That was followed up by a Prouty shot at Leland, which he handled easily for his third save of the day. WNE answered by putting pressure on Wentworth. It led to a corner. That corner was sent in toward the penalty box. After bouncing around, the ball found Chriss Allen, who tipped it to Jayden Montagna. Montagna saw the ball bounce toward him and, without thinking, whipped his foot at the ball and sent the ball into the back of the net. Montagna made the score 3-1 in the 55th minute of play. However, that did not stop the Golden Bears as they pushed toward the Wentworth net even more. Milazzo sent a shot wide of the net twice before Lenz sent a shot at Leland. Leland pushed it away from the net. Multiple Wentworth corners followed. None of them found the back of the net or a player who could put the ball there. The 66th minute saw Prouty get saved by Leland again. That is when WNE made another push that included Sean O'Neill testing Quintero, who parried the ball away, but just to Sam Riley, who, unfortunately, sent the ball wide of the net.

The teams went back and forth with shots blocked by the opponents' defenses. It was not until the 73rd minute, when Augustin Edwin Jr. sent a shot at Leland, that a shot was sent on net. Leland handled it and kept Wentworth at one goal. Both teams kept seeing opportunities open up, but neither could send a shot on the net. All of the shots during that time went wide or were blocked. As the time wound down and the game was within ten minutes of being over. Wentworth made a charge at the net. Raphael Ribeiro made Leland work for a save that he pushed above the net for a corner kick. After the corner, the ball bounced around and went off Wentworth and WNE players. Finally, the ball bounced to Dukeshire, who pushed it to Edwin, who tipped the ball into the back of the net. Wentworth still had life and now only trailed by one goal. Wentworth controlled the ball and kept pushing toward the net, but they only had one more shot in the final seven minutes. That was Dukeshire sending it wide of the net. Wentworth's final opportunity was a corner kick with ten seconds left. As the announcer counted down, the ball was sent into the penalty box, but WNE headed it out and sealed up the 3-2 win.

The final stats showed WNE having 27 shots to Wentworth's 16. Nine of WNE's shots were on net, and Quintero saved six. Wentworth also sent nine shots in the direction of the net, but Leland made seven saves. Wentworth had eight corner kicks, and WNE had five. Wentworth was called for 12 fouls and WNE was called for five. 

Inside the Lines:

• The Golden Bears played Host to the Leopards of Wentworth Institute of Technology.
• Wentworth opened up the scoring in the 16th minute when Nick Lenz sent a shot into the back of the net after a TJ Prouty assist.
• Mike Milazzo answered in the 29th minute after Connor Swanson found him on the assist.
• A Malik Serisser goal in the 45th minute sent the Golden Bears into halftime with a 2-1 lead. Sean O'Neill was credited with the assist.
• Jayden Montagna got a goal in the 55th minute when Chris Allen tipped the ball to him for an open look at net.
• The scoring ended in the 83rd minute when Augustin Edwin Jr. sent the ball past Leland to get the Leopard back within one goal of WNE.
• The game ended 3-2, with Roger Leland having seven saves and Louis Quintero having six.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• WNE finishes the regular season with a record of 9-6-3 overall and a CCC record of 6-3-0. They will be the third overall seed in the CCC tournament. Their next game will be on Saturday, October 29. The time is still to be determined.
• Wentworth sees their regular season come to a close with the defeat at WNE. They finished with a record of 4-10-3 overall and a CCC record of 2-6-1. They finished eighth in the CCC standings and will play at Gordon on Thursday, October 27, at 4:00 pm.