NEWTON, Mass. (9/15/15) – Behind back-to-back goals from senior forward Abdulla Al Khalifa (Riffa, Bahrain), the Endicott men's soccer team blanked Lasell College 3-0 Tuesday afternoon at Taylor Field. The Lasers fall to 0-4 on the season while the Gulls advance to 3-1-1.
Both teams played with equal possession in the first half, however, neither of them were able to capitalize on frame. Two minutes in, the Lasers took the ball on the counter-attack and drove to the net, where senior Nick Rudovic (Yonkers, N.Y.) jumped up for a header that went just wide. With the clock at 31:05, Gulls' sophomore Carter Ocko (Danvers, Mass.) chucked a soaring throw-in just inside the six yard box, where sophomore Connor Couchot (Madon, Ohio) fired a shot on goal, but was denied the tie-breaker as the it floated just above the pipe.
After the halftime break, the Gulls applied offensive pressure early and often. At 76:34, junior Brion Likaj (Salem, Mass.) wound up for a blast on net, where Lasell senior goalkeeper Miguel Colmenares (Caracas, Venezuela) jumped up for the save. Just 1:06 later, a Lasell foul deep in defensive territory led to a missed frame on net by the Gulls, however, Al Khalifa capitalized on the scuffle and put away the first goal of the game.
With momentum on their side, Endicott struck again in the 81st minute after sophomore Diego Slobotzky (Mexico City, Mexico) tiptoed across the end line and found Al Khalifa to bump the advantage 2-0. The Gulls never looked back and took the game for their own, finishing on a goal from sophomore Brendan McLaughlin (Colchester, Conn.), his first of the season.
The Gulls held an 18-7 advantage in shots, and upped the Lasers 6-3 in corner kicks.
Colmenares (0-4) recorded two stops for the home team, while junior Nick Weinstein (3-1-1) (Trumbull, Conn.) saved all four shots faced on net for Endicott.
The Lasers return to Taylor Field on Saturday, September 19 when they host GNAC foe Suffolk University for a game slated for 2:30 p.m., while the Gulls welcome Nichols College for a game under the lights at 7:00 on Friday, September 18.