Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--After a scoreless first half, Matt Cotnoir scored a goal with just six minutes into the second to give visiting Curry College men's soccer team the only goal it would need as the Colonels defeated Western New England University, 2-0, in a Commonwealth Coast Conference game on Saturday at Suprenant Field.

Despite the loss, Western New England remains in the hunt for a CCC championship tournament berth. A win in its regular-season finale at Salve Regina on Wednesday (3 p.m.) would clinch the eighth and final spot in the postseason for the Golden Bears, who are tied with Wentworth--which tied Endicott, 1-1, today-- with eight points apiece with identical 2-4-2 conference marks. Western New England owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Leopards.

Freshman Logan Pingree came off the bench to lead WNE with five shots and sophomore Ryan Dickinson added four.

Western New England--9-7-3 overall--had four opportunities in the first eight minutes of the game, but strong defensive play by the Colonel defense kept the game scoreless. Senior Zachary Coopee had two header chances while freshman Troy Remillard and sophomore Chad Burke also had shots.

Nick Gilman had a good chance to score in the first half for Curry, but WNE sophomore goalie Kevin Strobel made the first of his five saves in the game to deny him.

Curry, which is now 9-8-1 overall and 3-5 in the CCC, got three shots at the start of the second half and finally broke the ice at 51:23 on Cotnoir's eighth goal of the season with an assist from Ronaldo Montero. The Colonels put the game away at the 71:42 mark on a breakaway goal by Montero, his third of the season.

Western New England outshot Curry 20-15 (8-7 on goal), but Colonels goalie Dan Johnson made eight saves to preserve the shutout.

Before the game, the WNE coaching staff and staff honored the accomplishments of the Golden Bears' senior class of co-captain Chris Bruton, Tim Murray and Coopee. The trio won over 60 percent of their games and played on CCC championship teams in 2011 and '13 that advanced to the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship in those seasons.