Salem State Men’s Soccer Wins in OT
SALEM – Nahuel Aligbay (Leominster, Mass.) scored with less than five minutes remaining in double
overtime to lift Salem State to a 2-1 victory over Framingham State in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) match on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field. The Vikings, who played in their second straight double overtime game, improve to 5-3 and take sole possession of first place in the MASCAC with a 3-0 record. The Rams slide to 6-5 and are now 2-1 in conference.
Aligbay took a pass from Mayele Malango (Lowell, Mass.) and lofted a shot from 10 yards out that went over the head of keeper Josh Arno (Natick, Mass.) for the game-winner.
Malango put the Vikings on the board early when he intercepted an attempted clear by keeper Josh Arno (Natick, Mass.) and converted his team-leading 10th goal of the season into an open net.
Framingham State missed an opportunity to even the score in the 24th minute when Justin Moniz (Fall River, Mass.) deflected a shot off the cross bar that bounced directly to Kenneth Stahovish (Springfield, Mass.), who had gotten behind Salem State keeper Chris Jimenez (Nashua, N.H.). However, Stahovish missed the empty net, pushing the shot over the crossbar, preventing the Rams from tying the game.
The two teams combined for just five shots in the first half as the two defenses played evenly in the tightly contested matchup.
Stahovish atoned for his miss in the second half as he finished a Ben Britton (Peabody, Mass.) pass with a header that went off the hand of Jimenez in the 61st minute.
Both teams struggled to set up offensively as the teams combined for just nine shots on goal. Jimenez earned the win making four saves while Arno stopped two shots for the Rams.
Salem State Women’s Soccer Wins
Framingham, Mass. – The Framingham State University women’s soccer team suffered a 1-0 loss to Salem State University in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action this afternoon at Maple Street Field.
With the win, the Vikings are now 4-4-1 on the year and 2-1 in the league, while the Rams fall to 2-7 on the season and are now 0-3 in the MASCAC.
Salem State tallied the game’s only goal in the 72nd minute of play. Sophomore Casey McFall (Wilmington, Mass.) carried the ball down the left sideline, made a cut in and lofted a shot at the net. The Rams keeper, junior Jennifer Stevens (Hopkinton, Mass.) got a hand on the ball, but the ball had crossed the plane for what proved to be the game-winner.
The Rams had a couple of chances to score earlier in the half, but could not connect. With just over 25 minutes remaining, senior Shelly Nardi (Williamsburg, Mass.) had a shot off a corner, but her bid sailed wide and high. Just four minutes later, junior Melissa Sybertz (East Bridgewater, Mass.) headed a corner, but her attempt also sailed high of the net.
The Rams held a 13-9 advantage in shots for the game and a 4-1 edge in corner kicks. Stevens was tagged with the loss in net for the Rams making three saves, while junior Amanda Backe (Danvers, Mass.) made two stops en route to the victory in net.
The Rams are back on the pitch Wednesday night when they travel to Curry College for a non-conference contest starting at 6:30 p.m., while the Vikings host Gordon College on Tuesday in a non-conference tilt beginning at 7 p.m.
Salem State Field Hockey Wins
SALEM – Vanessa Yavorski (Georgetown, Mass.) scored with less than seven minutes remaining to propel Salem State to a 2-1 victory over Framingham State in Little East action on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field. The Vikings improve to 2-8 and are now 1-6 in conference. The Rams have now dropped seven-of-their-past eight games and slip to 2-7, and 1-6 in the LEC.
Courtney Smith (Peabody, Mass.) notched her second goal of the season early in the first half off the stick of Casie Curtin (Wrentham, Mass.) to stake Salem State to a 1-0 lead. However, Mycala Moody (North Attleboro, Mass.) and Meaghann Ackerman (Littleton, Mass) teamed up to tie the score for Framingham State at the 8:20 mark as Moody beat goalie Gabriella Cerro (Beverly, Mass.) for the only scoring of the first half.
Both teams generated few scoring opportunities in the second half as the teams combined for just seven shots, with only one coming from the Rams. In a game that appeared headed to overtime, Salem State pressured Framingham State over the final 12 minutes of action and Yavorski made it pay off as she slipped a shot past goalie Haley Duggan (Framingham, Mass.) for the game-winning score.
Cerro made three saves in the victory while Duggan stopped five Vikings’ shots
