Branco tallies his seventh goal of the season

MANCHESTER, N.H. (October 18, 2017) – The Stonehill College men's soccer team played to its second draw of the season with a 1-1 game against Saint Anselm College at Melucci Field, Wednesday afternoon.

Stonehill (4-9-2, 1-8-1 NE10) saw senior goalkeeper Conor McDonough (Bridgewater, Massachusetts/Coyle and Cassidy) make five saves in the tie. Senior Adam Branco (Naugatuck, Connecticut/Naugatuck) recorded his seventh goal of the season, and 26^th-career tally. Junior Patrick Doherty (West Milford, New Jersey/Saint Joseph Regional) registered the assist, for his first assist of his career.

Saint Anselm's (3-7-2, 3-6-1 NE10) Jayden West tallied the lone goal for the Hawks, while Keith Hill recorded the helper. The Hawks' goalkeeper Helo Meirelles Neto made eight stops in net.

The Skyhawks attacked early in the first 10 minutes of the game, as six shots kept the Hawks' defense busy in the box. Stonehill also tallied the first two corner kicks of the game in the fifth minute, which resulted in only one header by Branco that went wide left.

About three minutes into the second half, the Hawks capitalized on a loose ball that Hill was able to draw McDonough out of the net, setting up West on the left side for a left-footed goal at 47:58.

At the 61^st minute, Stonehill drew a foul on Saint Anselm. The Hawks took the ball back down field to their attacking third, and Jack Heintzelman kicked the ball into the diving McDonough, for his second save of the game. Saint Anselm also got a corner out of the play, but was cleared out of the box by Stonehill.

Saint Anselm was active in 18-yard box in the 75^th minute, as Heintzelman and Michael Coffey chipped in back-to-back shots right in front of the net. McDonough stopped the first one, as Coffey sent the second one high over the crossbar.

With under 10 minutes remaining in regulation, Stonehill drew a foul on Saint Anselm about 20 yards out and Branco lifted the ball over the defenders as one of the Hawks chipped it out of bounds for a Skyhawk corner kick. Michael McShane (Needham, Massachusetts/Needham) took the corner kick in the 81^st minute, and Mackenzie Hoglund (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) ripped the ball from outside the 18 for a blocked shot.

Stonehill regained possession in the 87^th minute of the game, as Doherty sent a long cross from the right side of the field to Branco on the left side at the top of the six-yard box for a header into the back right post for the equalizer, 1-1.

At the end of regulation, Stonehill held the shot advantage 22-10.

Stonehill saw Branco get the first shot in overtime with a header that sailed wide left in the 91^st minute, as the Hawks responded with a shot in the 93^rd minute by Heintzelman that was saved by the outstretched McDonough.

The Skyhawks were the only ones to see a shot in the second overtime as Branco, Stephen Vercollone (Pembroke, Massachsuetts/Pembroke) and Hoglund added to the Skyhawks' total of 30 shots at the end of the game.

Stonehill hosts the University of New Haven on Saturday, October 21 for a game on Skyhawk Field at noon.

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