Branco tallies fifth-career game-winning goal
EASTON, Mass. (October 21, 2017) – The Stonehill College men's soccer team defeated the University of New Haven, 2-1, in double overtime on Saturday afternoon on Skyhawk Field.
For Stonehill (5-9-2, 2-8-1 NE10), Ryan Chieffo (North Haven, Connecticut/North Haven) recorded his first-career goal with an assist from Eric Dominguez (Oceanside, California/Carlsbad), for his first helper of his career. Adam Branco (Naugatuck, Connecticut/Naugatuck) tallied his fifth-career game-winning goal and his eighth-season goal, with the assist from Justin Brehm (Latham, New York, Shaker) for his second helper of the season.
New Haven (2-12-1, 2-8-1 NE10) saw Pablo Perez score the lone goal, as Simao Sousa Branca and Cam Twombly notch the assists in the second half.
The Skyhawks had a very active first half striking 10 balls at the net. Stonehill held possession for five strong minutes in the game, as Keegan Nutt (Easton, Massachusetts/Oliver Ames) and Branco each tallied a shot on goal, while Connor O'Brien (Schenectady, New York/Guilderland Central) tallied two shots on goal himself, for four-straight shots starting at the 15-minute mark.
James O'Shea (Quincy, Massachusetts/Quincy) also had his try inside the 18-yard box, as he kicked the ball on the left side which hit the left post and bounced out in the 32nd minute.
New Haven began the second half with a shot by George Tighe, which was stopped by Stonehill's defense in the 50th minute, and was followed by a corner kick by Cam Twombly. Twombly sent an inswinger to Branca at the far back post who headed the ball to the ground finding Perez in front of the net and headed it in for a 1-0 lead in the 51st minute of the game.
After an offside call on Stonehill in their attacking third, the Skyhawks regained possession in the 70th minute of the game, as Dominguez chipped the ball to the top of the 18-yard box and Chieffo collected the pass and tallied the equalizer in the 71st minute of the game.
New Haven quickly reset and tallied a shot right after the goal by Nate Peduzzi that ricocheted on the inside of the post that bounced towards the middle of the net but was covered in time by Conor McDonough (Bridgewater, Massachusetts/Coyle and Cassidy).
By the end of regulation, the Skyhawks held a 21-5 shot advantage over the Chargers with the game tied at one, 1-1.
Stonehill was the only team to get off shots in the first overtime, as O'Shea, Stephen Vercollone (Pembroke, Massachusetts/Pembroke) and Branco struck the ball.
With a foul on the Chargers in the second overtime, the Skyhawks took advantage and Brehm won a 50-50 ball against a New Haven defender in the left channel and dished the ball to Branco, who was in front of the net. Branco drilled the ball to the back left post for his fifth-career game-winning goal in the 106th minute of the game.
Stonehill hosts Assumption College for their final home match of the season on Tuesday, October 24 on Skyhawk Field at 3:00 p.m.
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