Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Men's Soccer team hosted MCLA for their fourth conference game of the season Saturday afternoon. The last time the two faced each other was in last season's quarterfinals, where Worcester won 3-0. The Lancers looked to repeat tonight in a gap of rain showers on John F. Coughlin Field. This afternoon's game was also played in support of the Rosen Cancer Awareness Fund. The Rosen Cancer Awareness Fund was created by alumni couple Greg Rosen 86' and Pam Rosen 87', which provides robust programming that supports peer-to-peer education regarding early cancer detection.

This year, four Worcester State fall Athletics teams will be donning Pink Out t-shirts, designed with the Rosen Cancer Awareness logo, throughout select games during the first two weeks in October. Pink Out shirts will also be for sale. There will be free informational giveaways and raffle tickets at $25 each to win a scratch ticket tree that includes $500 worth of scratch-off lottery tickets, with the winner being announced at halftime of the Homecoming football game October 28. All proceeds from the raffle and sales will benefit the Rosen Cancer Awareness fund.

The Lancers and the Trailblazers went back and forth with possession in the first half, both gaining opportunities in the final third but struggling to find the finishing touch. Worcester did a great job switching the field through the back line and driving down the sideline with the wingers. Senior Matt Alzamora (Holden, MA) was a strong center back clearing any balls looking to go over the top with his leaping headers. MCLA had a couple shots but senior keeper Andy Ramirez (Waltham, MA) picked them up and sent them on their way before any real threat could occur. Worcester earned a penalty kick that senior Luke Anu (Salem, MA) sent bottom left corner, but keeper Oliver Le Lacheur (Medford, MA) saved the attempt to hold the  Lancers scoreless and keep the game tied at 0-0, which would hold through the first half of play.

The second half looked much like the first, as the game remained even across the pitch. Seven minutes into the half, MCLA found themselves sending a ball into Worcester's box were it made its way right to the front of the net on the ground, and knocked loose from Ramirez in an attempt to corral the ball, where David Kankam (Pittsfield, MA) was not marked tightly and got a foot on the ball to send it into the net putting MCLA up 1-0. The Lancers clearly picked up the urgency after this goal pushing into the Trailblazer's final third over and over again. They outshot MCLA 22-7 in the game, but Trailblazer keeper Le Lacheur made imperative saves to keep them in the lead, robbing more than one Lancer attempt at an equalizer. Several yellow cards were awarded as the pressure mounted with the clock winding down. The Lancers earned two corners in the final seconds of the game, but the Trailblazers cleared the final one out to secure the conference win after a scramble in front saw the Lancers nearly tie the game up. 

Worcester now sits (2-5-3, 1-3) playing Springfield on Tuesday in a break in their conference schedule before their next conference game against Framingham away on Saturday, October 14th.