Suffolk University men’s soccer team hosted University of Hartford Oct. 5 for their 11th game of the season, finishing with a 2-0 shutout win over the Hawks.
The win bumps the Rams’ record to 5-3-3 as they enter the second half of the season. This matchup with Hartford was the second in program history, resulting in the second win against the Hawks. The Rams shutout Hartford for the first time. Their first ever matchup was in 2023 and ended with a 2-1 Suffolk win.
The Rams kept defensive control during the first half of the match. Rams goalkeeper Nathan Harlow kept the goal clear, stopping a Hartford shot in the first 15 minutes. Harlow finished the game with a clean sheet after defending multiple Hartford corner kicks and two shots on goal. This was his second shutout win of the season.
“In the back is where we did our job,” said Suffolk forward Diego Pierantozzi. “They had two fast players. And they tried to counter us.”
Pierantozzi was the first to score against the Hawks by converting a cross from senior Dominic Rinaldi in the 68th minute. After 20 unsuccessful shots, the Rams were able to take the lead 1-0. Pierantozzi notched his second goal of the season and started a momentum shift during the last 20 minutes of the game.
“We came back, went even harder and got some momentum,” said Pierantozzi.
With the momentum from Pierantozzi, the Rams secured a second goal with just three minutes left in the game. Pierantozzi was able to steal the ball and get it down the field to assist sophomore Francisco Valck with his fifth goal of the season. The goal sealed the deal for the Rams, who successfully shut out the Hawks 2-0.
“Our coach is very big about winning set piece battles,” said senior captain Taj Jensen. “When there is a corner kick or a free kick, that we are able to score more of those moments than they are able to.”
The Rams finished the match with the upperhand in corner kicks 5-3. None of their corner kicks were able to find the back of the net. After multiple scrambles, Hartford’s defense was able to keep their box clear.
“Every conference game I watch a lot of film and our coach as well,” said Jensen. “We have discussions about different tendencies they have.”
Hartford senior Kellijah Morgan was a big threat for the Rams. Morgan is the lead scorer for the Hawks, but Suffolk was successful in keeping him away from the ball. Morgan was not even allowed a shot by the Rams defense.
“Making sure that we understand where that player is at all points,” said Jensen about Morgan. “Trying to limit his ability to try and impact the game because they play through him.”
With their third shutout of the season and two wins in a row, the Rams head into the last month of their regular season. The Rams took a one game break from their Conference of New England matchups as they played Babson college Oct. 8, which ended in a 1-0 shutout loss. They will not be away from conference games for long, as the Rams will compete with six other conference teams before the end of the season.
