Suffolk Men’s soccer team was at it again for their usual two games this week.
Coming into this week the Rams found themselves towards the bottom of the conference having only a 1-3 record against those residing in the GNAC.
This past Wednesday’s game saw Suffolk traveling to a usually good home field team in Regis College (8-4 last year). Regis came into the match with a mediocre 2-6-2 overall record, being only 1-5-1 at home this year.
Suffolk had just come off an unsettling loss to top ranked Lasell entering the contest versus Regis.
A motivated Rams team started off the scoring in the 38th minute of the first half. On a blocked shot, midfielder Djbril Niang scored his second goal in as many games to give the advantage in the first 45 minutes to Suffolk.
The advantage was shortly lost in the beginning of the second half when Regis’ Don Gomez scored his second goal of this year and also tied up the game just over 4 minutes into play.
The next goal wasn’t scored until the 67th minute when, who else, Andres Cohen potted his team leading 6th goal of the season. His header snuck past the keeper, giving Suffolk a 2-1 advantage down the home stretch of the match.
The resilient Rams stayed solid up until the 90th minute and did not allow Regis to tie. The stifling defense of Suffolk only allowed Regis to have four shots on net all game, with Nicholas Chamma stopping three of them, on his way to his third win of the year.
Suffolk improved to 3-6 after the victory, while Regis dropped to 2-7-2.
Suffolk’s next match took place in Providence, R.I. when the men took on the only undefeated team left in the GNAC, Johnson & Whales. J&W has an overall record of 8-0-2, but a conference record of 2-0-2, putting them in third in the GNAC despite having no losses.
One of the most challenging games of the year started off on the right foot. Twenty-three minutes into the first half, a 35-yard screamer off the foot of no. 20 on the Rams, Alberto Benhamu. His goal was unassisted and momentarily gave Suffolk the upper hand. Johnson & Whales equalizing goal came just before the end of the half. In the 41st minute, O’Kyle Corridon scored on a breakaway to bring the score even, which means whoever took the second half would win the game.
Similar to last game when Suffolk put the dagger into Regis in it the 67th minute, J&W returned the favor to the Rams this match. Eerily opposite to the game before, in the 67th minute, Xavier Carty nailed a free kick past goalkeeper Nicholas Chamma to give Johnson & Whales the deciding goal in the match.
Chamma did have an impressive game stopping 11 of 13 shots he faced over the duration of the contest.
The win improved J&W’s record to 9-0-2, while Suffolk declines in the GNAC standings having only won one of their four total GNAC matchups so far.
This week Suffolk takes on Elms, followed by a Saturday night game against conference opponent Norwich.
