Men's Soccer Scores Two Second Half Goals to Draw Against Rivier

CHICOPEE, Mass. - The Elms College Men's Soccer team hosted Rivier University in a conference match up on Tuesday night. 

BASICS
Score: Elms College 2 | Rivier University 2
Records: Blazers 3-10-1, 2-8-1 (GNAC) | Raiders 5-4-5, 3-3-4 (GNAC) 

HOW IT HAPPENED

In the first half, see Elms take the first shot of the contest after a shot from first-year forward Ibrahim Ayouba (Springfield, Mass.), but it was saved by Rivier's goalkeeper. The Raiders would take back-to-back shots, but senior goalkeeper Aidan Berube (Chicopee, Mass.) would make both saves. The Blazers would quickly respond with four shots of their own from sophomore midfielder Patricio Vidales (Cancun, Mexico), senior defender Emmanuel Monge (Humacao, Puerto Rico), and Ayouba, but they would be unsuccessful. Rivier would then score in the 32nd minute of play, to give themselves a 1-0 lead. Berube would make one more save, but in the 45th minute, the Raiders would score a second goal to increase their lead 2-0 going into the halftime break.

The second half would see Elms outshooting Rivier five-to-three, with shots from Vidales, sophomore defender Nicolas Velasquez (Ellington, Conn.), and senior midfielder Jamal Hamisi (Nottingham, United Kingdom). The two conference foes would trade possession until the Raiders committed a foul, giving the Blazers a penalty shot, which would be converted for the first goal of the evening by Vidales. Elms would continue to pressure the Rivier defense, trying to score the equalizing goal, until Velasquez would connect with Ayouba, after a corner kick, to tie the game 2-2. Both sides would make attempts to score the go-ahead goal, but neither would be successful as the final whistle blew, and the game would finish as a draw.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Vidales would take seven shots throughout the game, with one goal and three shots on net.

• Berube would make six saves throughout the night.

• Ayouba and Monge would both take three shots, with Ayouba scoring one goal.

• Velasquez would add an assist and shot to his season totals.

• Hamisi and first-year midfielder Luigi Scala (Milan, Italy) would each take two shots, with one shot on net.

UP NEXT: The Elms Men's Soccer team will travel to New London, N.H. to play against Colby-Sawyer College in a conference match on Saturday, October 19th at 1 PM.

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