Wenham, Mass. (September 28, 2024) – The Golden Bears hit the road for their second conference matchup of the 2024 season as they took on Gordon College. The teams would battle, with neither able to find a goal in the first half. The teams would continue the battle, with both teams scoring in the second half, with Gordon scoring in the 87th minute to grab a tie with WNE.

Records:

• Western New England: 2-6-3 (0-1-1)
• Gordon College: 3-3-4 (0-0-2)

How it Happened:

 Baylon Casinghino and Isaiah Diaz were given the start in goal for the Golden Bears and Fighting Scots, respectively. The Golden Bears applied pressure early. It started with corner kicks in the 4th and 5th minutes. The second corner led to a shot going over the goal. Then, it was the Fighting Scots' turn to apply pressure. They had two corner kicks in the 8th minute. The teams kept trading possession, and it led to WNE earning a third corner kick in the 14th minute. The 17th minute saw a header shot from Roger Leland saved by Diaz. That led to a corner kick and a shot from WNE, which was blocked before getting to goal. The teams battled for the opening goal, and it was Gordon who earned the next opportunity. They had a corner kick in the 28th minute, and then Benji Wright had a shot saved by Casinghino. The game was stuck at 0-0. The Golden Bears tried to spark opportunities but to no avail. The 36th minute saw Gordon respond with a shot that was blocked by the WNE defense. The teams kept playing the ball back and forth for the rest of the first half, with neither team finding another major goal-scoring opportunity. The Golden Bears and Fighting Scots were level at zero at halftime. The first-half stats saw the Golden Bears leading 3-2 in shots and corner kicks 4-3. The Fighting Scots led in fouls 5-3. Both teams had one shot on goal and one save. The score was 0-0.

The second half started with Keegan Reim sending a shot at the goal thirty-five seconds into the half. Diaz made the save to keep the game scoreless. The 50th minute saw the Golden Bears have a second shot go wide of the goal. The teams kept trading the ball until Jacob Dounetos played a high-arching ball, which fell just over the head of Tyler Lewis, who had broken through the Gordon defense in the 57th minute. Lewis moved the ball forward with great control, and as the goalkeeper dove at the ball, Lewis lofted it up and over the goalie and into the back of the net. The Golden Bears took a 1-0 lead. Gordon responded almost immediately. The 60th minute saw a Gordon shot go over the net. Then, the Golden Bears countered, looking for a second goal. They had a corner kick in each of the 62nd and 63rd minutes. The second corner kick led to a shot, which went high of the mark. Gordon would try to gain the majority of the possession. However, play moved back and forth between the teams. Then, Gordon's Owen Wade had a header shot saved by Casinghino in the 69th minute. A shot was blocked, and another Gordon corner kick ensued at the end of the 69th minute. They had another shot blocked in the 70th minute. The Golden Bears felt the momentum swinging toward Gordon. They would stifle that momentum with a Shay O'Neill shot, which made Diaz make a save. Then, they had a shot in the 80th minute go over the net. They kept applying pressure on the Fighting Scots.

The teams kept battling with Gordon, looking for the equalizing goal. In the 87th minute, with 3:40 remaining in the game, they would get that goal. Owen Wade sent a through pass to Benji Wright on the left side of the goal. Wright dribbled once and then sent the ball crashing into the netting, and the game was tied 1-1. Neither team would get a major opportunity after that, and the game finished in a 1-1 draw. The final stat line saw the Golden Bears leading in shots 9-7, shots on goal 4-3, and corner kicks 6-4. Gordon led in fouls 7-5 and saves 3-2.

Coach's Corner:
Head coach Devin O'Neill was asked what O'Neill thought the team did well and did not do well at tonight. "I thought we played very well tonight. Gordon is a very good team and give them a ton of credit for making things very hard tonight. We will keep moving forward," O'Neill stated. O'Neill was then asked about the Tyler Lewis goal. "It was beautiful. Great ball from Jacob Dounetos," commented O'Neill.

Inside the Lines:

• The Golden Bears and Fighting Scots played in Wenham, Massachusetts on Saturday night.
• 56:19 – Tyler Lewis scored to give the Golden Bears the lead. Jacob Dounetos was credited with the assist. The Golden Bears led 1-0.
• 86:20 – Benji Wright equalized the game at 1-1. Owen Wade was credited with the assist.
• Isaiah Diaz faced four shots and saved three.
• Braylon Casinghino faced three shots and saved two.
• The Golden Bears and Fighting Scots tied 1-1.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• WNE will stay on the road and travel to New London, Connecticut, on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 6:00 PM for their next game against the United States Coast Guard Academy.
• Gordon will travel to Newton, Massachusetts, for their next game. They will take on Lasell University on Thursday, October 3, 2024, at 4:00 PM.