NO. 16 Eastern erupts in second half of LEC opener for 4-0 win over WestConn
MANFIELD, CT (Sept. 19) — Nine different players contributed a goal or assist as the Eastern Connecticut State University men’s soccer team remained unbeaten this season with a 4-0 win over Western Connecticut State University in the Little East Conference opener for both teams Saturday afternoon at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.
Ranked No. 2 in New England and No. 16 in Division III, Eastern (5-0-1, 1-0-0 little east) got goals 11 minutes apart early in the second half from senior Chris Bourdeau (Thompson) and freshman Cory Tobler (Portland) and went on to its highest goal total against Western Connecticut (2-4-0, 0-1-0 little east) since a 7-1 victory at Danbury in 1987.
The pre-season favorite to win its second conference title in three years, Eastern carried a 1-0 lead into the half before erupting in the second half. Bourdeau scored his third goal of the season nine minutes into the second half on a header following a corner kick from sophomore Matt Esposito (East Haven) to make it 2-0, and Tobler recorded his first collegiate goal 11 minutes later when he fired into an open net after sophomore Sean Collins (Bristol) found him unmarked on the left side of the cage.
First-year sophomore Matt Furman (Montville) scored his third goal in the last four matches to give Eastern a 1-0 lead midway through the first period. Furman, who scored the game-winning goal with 22.7 seconds left in sudden death overtime Tuesday against Tufts, drilled an open 12-yarder from the middle of the box on a pass from senior Maxim Fantl (West Hartford). The assist gave Fantl at least one point in five of six matches this season.
Tobler finished off the scoring with 1:34 left when he swooped in to finish off a shot by senior Sean Capezzone (Colchester), which had been saved on a dive by Western freshman keeper Angelo Tsingerliotis (Norwalk).
Capezzone was credited with his first career assist on the play and freshman Bradley Fletcher (Middletown) gained his first career point with an assist on Furman’s go-ahead goal.
Sophomore keeper Carl Appel (West Windsor, NJ) shut out Western for the second time in as many career starts. He made three saves to post his eighth career save in 26 starts. Appel’s most difficult save came with eight minutes left in the first half and preserved a 1-0 lead. After Western junior Daniel DaSilva (Danbury) split two defenders and carried inside ten yards on the right side, Appel rejected the shot with a dive to his right, and the ball was cleared away by sophomore Aaron Smiles (Bedford, MA).
Western starting junior back Luis Duque (Naugatuck, CT) hobbled from the field just three minutes into play with a pulled hamstring and did not return to action.
Western has not scored against Eastern in the last three meetings, since a 1-1 double-overtime tie at Danbury in 2006.
The home match was the fourth straight for Eastern, which visits Trinity College Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
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