MILTON, MA- On a cold and rainy Wednesday night, the Lasell College men's soccer team defeated Curry College, 4-1, on the road in non-conference play. Nery Guerra (Guatemala City, Gaut.) and Mike Skelton (Conway, NH) netted a pair of goals each in the contest which improved Lasell to 2-0-1 this year.
Lasell was able to outscore Curry 2-0 in the first half, putting the game winner in just 13:40 into action. Skelton put Lasell on top just 10:26 into play when he dodged a Colonel defender and received a cross from Jacob Allen (Westminster, MA) within the six, dropping the ball into the back right corner of the net.
Guerra struck just three minutes later for the game-deciding goal. Adam Luciano (Fairfield, CT) set the play up after a foul at half field lead to a direct kick on goal. Guerra jumped and gently headed the ball past the Colonels goal keeper Brian Newsome (Lawrenceville, NJ).
Curry had nearly as many chances as Lasell in the first half, taking eight shots to Lasell's nine, but Laser goalie Aren Moorman (Somerset, NJ) was up to the task. Both team's goalkeepers made three saves in the period.
The momentum continued in Lasell's favor as they came out to score their third mark just four minutes into the second half. This time, Guerra found the back of the net without help, controlling a loose ball within the penalty box for the score.
In the 60th minute, Curry finally got on the board when freshman Nicolas Chavez-Oramas (Briarcliff Manor, NY) launched a corner kick to junior Nick Lawless (Hull, MA) and was able to one-touch and score in front of the Lasers goal.
The Lasers responded with Skelton's second goal of the night. The sophomore forward broke away from the group, beating a number of Colonel defenders before tossing in the final goal.
Lasell finished the game with a slight 18-14 edge in shots though both teams had four corner kick opportunities in the match.
Moorman made six saves in a complete contest for the victors, while Newsome finished with six saves in 54:36, allowing three goals. James Oliver (Hanover, MA) played the final 35 minutes for the Colonels, making two saves.
Lasell returns home to host Emerson College on Saturday, September 10, to begin Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) competition. Emerson was recently picked to finish 5th in the GNAC Coaches Preseason Polls, while Lasell was slated for 3rd place. The contest between the Lasers and the Lions will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Taylor Field.
