This week in Suffolk University sports: men’s soccer secures championship rematch, women’s soccer lands playoff upset, men’s hockey stumbles to begin season and cross country continues their dynasty at conference championship meet.
Men’s soccer flies to championship rematch
Men’s soccer hosted the Endicott College Gulls in the Conference of New England semifinals Nov. 4, the Rams prevailed 2-1 in a hotly contested match.
Diego Pierantozzi scored in the 28th minute to give Suffolk a 1-0 lead at halftime. Matthew Belluardo doubled the lead less than seven minutes into the second half right in front of the net.
Endicott pushed back aggressively as the clock continued to wind down, and it resulted in a goal by Drew McClay-Ward in the 77th minute to cut the Suffolk lead in half. With eight minutes left, the Gulls appeared to score the game tying goal but it was immediately waved off due to an offside call. From there, Suffolk locked down the win.
The Rams will travel to Rhode Island for a matchup with Roger Williams University Nov. 8 in the CNE championship game. Suffolk beat the Hawks in the championship game in penalty kicks last season in East Boston after having lost to Roger Williams on the road in 2022. This is the third time in the last four years Suffolk and Roger Williams will tangle in the championship game.
Women’s soccer soars to playoff upset
Needing a win over Conference of New England foe Nichols College Oct. 29 to make the playoffs, women’s soccer did just that with a dominant 5-0 win to punch their ticket to the postseason.
Daniela Petronio got the scoring started in the 12th minute, and Lily Goldmann doubled the lead in the 26th minute after her shot deflected off a Nichols defender and into the net. The Rams scored their final three goals before halftime as well, with Makena Columbus, Bria Baughman and Goldmann scoring. Baughman’s goal was her first in the NCAA.
That win gave them a first round playoff matchup against Johnson & Wales University Nov. 1. The Rams picked up a road upset over the Wildcats, winning 2-1 to advance to the second round.
Goldmann got the Rams on the board in the 40th minute before Isa Peraza made it a 2-0 lead 3:04 after Goldmann’s goal. Johnson & Wales got on the board in the second half thanks to a goal by Sophia Warburton, but it was the only goal Arden Rose allowed in a five save game.
With the win, the Rams face the No. 2 seed Endicott College Gulls in the CNE semifinals Nov. 5 with a spot in the championship game on the line.
Volleyball falters in season’s final stretch
Volleyball hosted Gordon College Oct. 29 in their final home game of the regular season, with the Rams losing their second straight 3-0 decision, this time to the Fighting Scots.
Set scores were 25-14, 25-17 and 25-22 in favor of Gordon as Suffolk fell to 10-16 overall and 4-5 in CNE play. Kathy Mo and Chloe Clement anchored the back line for the Rams with 14 digs each, while Emily Norgrove paced the team in digs with eight. Aislinn Lanigan had the only service ace of the night for the Rams.
As of Nov. 4, the Rams are in seventh in the CNE standings, just behind the University of New England for the final spot in the playoffs. The Rams need to win against Western New England University, who is 2-6 in CNE play, on the road Nov. 5. They also need the Nor’Easters to lose their final two matches, against Endicott and the University of Hartford, to make the playoffs. Any other result and the Rams are out.
Cross country continues dynasty at CNE championships
Men’s and women’s cross country started their postseason at the CNE championships Nov. 1 on the Gordon campus.
The men’s team finished in the middle of the 10 team field with a fifth place finish, scoring 135 points. Gordon was just ahead of the Rams in fourth with 130 points. Hayden Green earned all-CNE honors for the fourth straight year, finishing in 14th place with a 26:41 eight kilometer time.
The women’s team dominated the nine team field in the six kilometer race, with the top four being all Suffolk as they scored 21 points for their fifth straight CNE title. They haven’t lost a CNE championship in the five years competing in the conference.
Sofia Moukaddem became the first Suffolk league champion, winning the race in 22:04 to also earn CNE runner of the year honors. Grace Miller, Tess Drury and Amy Pattelena followed closely behind Moukaddem as the Rams won by 53 points over second place Endicott. Chloe Koo was the fifth runner across the finish line for the Rams in 11th place, with all of the top five Suffolk runners garnering all-CNE recognition.
Both teams turn their attention to the NCAA Division III East Region championships Nov. 15 in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, to be hosted by Suffolk.
Men’s hockey falters to begin season
Men’s hockey opened their season Nov. 1 at home against Salem State University, losing a 4-3 game to the Vikings.
Salem State started the scoring on the power play to take the 1-0 lead before Suffolk answered with a power play goal of their own, with Nolan Leonard scoring with assists from new Rams Dmitri Voyatzis and Marko Giourof.
The Vikings added one more before the end of the first period and one in the second to grab a 3-1 lead. Bobby Lachance scored Suffolk’s second power play goal of the day to cut the Rams deficit to 3-2 after two periods.
Salem State restored the two goal lead 9:58 into the third on a Billy Dougherty goal. Leonard scored his second of the day for the Rams with 2:03 left in regulation, but Suffolk could not beat Vikings goalie Will Nepveu again, who made 36 saves to secure the win. Freshman Austin McNicholas started in goal for the Rams, losing his collegiate debut with a 21 save showing on 25 shots by the Vikings.
