WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Five different players contributed goals as the Eastern Connecticut State University men’s soccer team won its first post-season game since 1977 with a 5-0 victory over Nichols College in the first round of the ECAC New England Division III Tournament Wednesday afternoon at Thomas Nevers Field.
Nichols ends its season with the most wins since 1982, and made program-first appearances in both The Commonwealth Coast Conference finals and the ECAC Tournament.
Junior forward Nicholas Boretti took a return feed from senior midfielder Mike Vekakis and scored on a one-time from ten yards with just 4:06 elapsed to give Eastern a quick lead. Junior forward Maxim Fantl, the Little East Conference Offensive Player-of-the-Year, scored his team-leading 16th goal of the year five minutes before halftime, and the Warriors scored three times in 14 minutes in the second half.
Nichols (11-10-1), which was without five starters due to injury, and saw two more in its lineup go down early in the game, was held without a shot until sophomore midfielder Michael Schell (South Windsor, Conn.) sent a 25-yarder over the crossbar eight minutes into the second half. Eastern freshman keeper Carl Appel’s only save over his 71-minute stint came with 25:36 left in the match.
First-year goalkeeper Brendan Hamilton (No. Attleboro, Mass.) made six saves before giving way to junior Clayton Johnson (Williamstown, Mass.) in the 64th minute. Johnson allowed one goal and made one save in the remainder of the game.
Ranked third in New England and No. 24 in Division III, Eastern improved to 10-1-0 at home this year with its seventh win without a loss to Nichols in the series. It was the first meeting between the clubs since 1987.
Top-seeded Eastern (14-3-3) advances to the tournament semifinals Saturday when it hosts fourth-seeded Husson College(11-6-1) at 1 p.m.
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