EASTON, MASS. (October 13, 2022)- Thanks to an early second-period goal from Jarod Rapoza who was making his first collegiate start, the Stonehill College men's soccer team came away with their first Northeast Conference win over Howard University, 1-0 Thursday afternoon at a rainy Skyhawk Field.
Scoring
STO: Jarod Rapoza (assist: Shane Fonseca), 45:21
Goalkeeping
STO: Carlos Dias Neto (90:00)-six saves
HOW: JR Gawel (90:00)-seven saves
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Shane Fonseca dished out his first collegiate assist Thursday (Photo Credit: Andrew Katsampes) |
The Details
- The first half was highlighted by strong defensive and goaltending play as neither offense found the back of the net in the first 45. Stonehill had a couple of good looks early on including a missed bicycle kick by Jacob Woznicki at the 17:09 mark.
- Howard was smothered by the Skyhawks defense for most of the half until they got their first good look by Bryson Baker but saw his shot stopped by Stonehill goalie, Dias Neto. The Bison put another shot on net later in the first at 40:04 but again, Dias Neto made the clutch stop.
- Stonehill ended up outshooting Howard in the first half by a 6-3 margin including two shots being on goal.
- Not even a minute into the second half (45:21), Fonseca pushed the ball toward the Bison net and sent a shot on net but after Gawel could not corral the shot, Rapoza was there for the rebound and buried his shot past Gawel for the 1-0 lead. Rapoza's goal marked the first of his collegiate career and Fonseca's assist was also a career first.
- From that point, the Stonehill defense and Dias Neto kept Howard at bay including a crucial save by Dias Neto in the 87th minute after he came up in the box and disrupted Baker's shot which ultimately helped the Skyhawks earn the shutout win.
- Dias Neto finished with six saves on the afternoon and thanks to his strong play in net, Dias Neto earned his first win as a Skyhawk. His six saves marked the fourth time he finished with five or more saves.
- Overall, Stonehill ended up outshooting Howard, 17-13, and held the advantage in corner's (9-8).
Up Next
Stonehill hits the road for a four-game road trip starting with a Sunday NEC matchup at Sacred Heart University starting at 3:30 p.m.
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