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Western New England University

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Men's Soccer 10/5/24
2
Winner Western New England WNEU (4-6-3, 1-1-1)
0
Univ. of New England UNE (4-5-2, 1-2-0)
Winner
Western New England WNEU
(4-6-3, 1-1-1)
2
Final
0
Univ. of New England UNE
(4-5-2, 1-2-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Western New England WNEU 2 0 2
Univ. of New England UNE 0 0 0

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Golden Bears Battle Through the Storm, Shut Out Nor’Easters 2-0

Biddeford, ME. (October 5, 2024) – The Golden Bears were in Biddeford, Maine, for conference gameday number three of their 2024 campaign. WNE began strong and continued throughout the game. Goals from Roger Leland and Aiden Casinghino in the first half and a shutout pitched by Braylon Casinghino and the WNE defense led the Golden Bears to a 2-0 conference victory.

Records:

  • Western New England: 4-6-3 (1-1-1)
  • University of New England: 4-5-2 (1-2-0)

How it Happened:

The conference showdown began with Braylon Casinghino and Sean McCarthy in goal for the Golden Bears and Nor'Easters, respectively. The Golden Bears applied pressure from the kickoff. Tyler Lewis had two shots in the fourth minute. The first was blocked, and the second saw McCarthy pick up the game's first save. WNE then had a shot go over the goal for a UNE goal kick. Roger Leland would send another shot at McCarthy in the 13th minute. McCarthy made the save to keep the score level. WNE kept the pressure on with another shot in the 17th minute. However, this one did not worry McCarthy. The 22nd and 23rd minutes each saw a shot from the Golden Bears. However, neither would test McCarthy in goal. The Nor'Easters looked to flip the momentum in their favor with two corner kick opportunities in a row in the 26th minute. However, the Golden Bears did not concede a shot. Roger Leland then had a shot in the 27th minute saved by McCarthy, and then in the 31st minute, UNE was called for a penalty, and Leland took the penalty kick for WNE. Leland ran up and fired a shot into the top-middle part of the goal for Leland's first goal of the season. WNE led 1-0. The Golden Bears did not let up. They earned a corner kick in the 40th minute. UNE countered with their first shot of the game. Matthew Dewhurst sent a shot at Casinghino, which was saved. However, the Golden Bears would regain possession, and Shay O'Neill would find Aiden Casinghino flying down the right side of the field. Casinghino would immediately send the ball at the UNE goalie, who was charging, and it found the back of the net. The Golden Bears led 2-0 in the 43rd minute. That was the final opportunity of the first half. The first-half stats showed the Golden Bears leading in shots 10-1 and shots on goal 5-1. UNE led in corner kicks 2-1, saves 3-1, and fouls 8-3.

The second half saw the Golden Bears take control of possession from the beginning. They earned a corner kick, which led to a shot that went wide in the 48th minute. UNE would start to fight back with a Nick Reffel shot on goal in the 52nd minute. Casinghino made the save. WNE countered with a 58th-minute shot from Aiden Casinghino, which McCarthy saved. WNE had another shot go over the crossbar in the same minute. The teams traded possession of the ball until WNE had another shot saved by McCarthy. Jack Leland sent a shot into the top center part of the goal but could not get it past the UNE goalkeeper. UNE would see an opportunity in front of the goal in the 65th minute. The shot would slide wide of the goal. UNE kept trying to cut the WNE lead in half with a shot blocked by the WNE defense in the 70th minute. Haukur Karlsson then had a shot saved by Casinghino in the 71st minute. WNE answered with a shot that sailed over the goal in the 73rd minute. UNE answered with a shot wide in the 74th minute. The 80th minute saw the Golden Bears keep the pressure up with a shot that missed to the right of the goal. Shay O'Neill and Brandon Lewis would test McCarthy twice after that, in the 83rd minute. McCarthy made both saves. Then, WNE had an 89th-minute corner kick turned away, leading to a 90th-minute corner kick. That is how the game would end. The final stats saw the Golden Bears leading in shots 18-6 and shots on goal 9-3. Both teams had four corner kicks, and UNE led in saves 7-3 and fouls 11-7. The Golden Bears picked up their first conference win 2-0.

Coach's Corner

After the game, head coach Devin O'Neill was asked how it feels to go on the road and get the first conference win of the season. O'Neill responded with, "It's a big 3 points for us. (I am) very happy, and hopefully, we can push forward from here." O'Neill was also asked what O'Neill believed went right for the team in today's win. "Our ball retention was very helpful today," mentioned O'Neill.

Goal-scorer Roger Leland was asked what went through Leland's mind when scoring Leland's first goal of the season. Leland stated, "What went through my mind was just knowing I had to back the boys up with a goal, hit it hard, and then focus on the next play. We had a job to get three points and worked as hard as we could to achieve them. Happy to ride home with a win."

Inside the Lines:

  • The Golden Bears took on the University of New England on Barbara J. Hazard Field in Biddeford, Maine.
  • 30:59 – Roger Leland scored a penalty kick goal. The Golden Bears led 1-0.
  • 42:03 – Aiden Casinghino scored off an assist from Shay O'Neill. The Golden Bears led 2-0.
  • Sean McCarthy made six saves and let up two goals.
  • Braylon Casinghino made three saves and earned the Golden Bears a second consecutive shutout victory.
  • WNE beat UNE 2-0.

Up Next on the Schedule:

  • WNE returns to campus for their final non-conference game of the season. They will host Trinity College on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at 4:00 PM.
  • UNE will travel to Bangor, Maine, for their final non-conference game of the season. They take on Husson University on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, at 6:00 PM.
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