Posted: Aug 30, 2014
Scott Trautwein's Late Goal in Final Minute Lifts Golden Bears Past Westfield, 1-0
Westfield St.
(0-1)
0
Western New Eng.
(1-0)
1
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Westfield St. (0-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Western New Eng. (1-0) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--Sophomores Scott Trautwein and Ryan Dickinson teamed up for a set piece with 30 seconds to go as Western New England University clipped visiting Westfield State University, 1-0, in the opening game of the WNE Soccer City Shootout at Suprenant Field on Saturday. It was the season opener for both squads.
"Today's result was a very hard-fought win against a spirited team. Full credit goes to Coach (John) Evans and Westfield State for starting the game in strong fashion," Western New England coach Erin Sullivan said after the match. "They put us on our heels early and controlled large portions of the first half. We were able to survive the onslaught thanks to solid play and leadership from our back four and goalkeeper Kevin Strobel who got his first collegiate shutout today. There is no doubt we'll need to start matches better moving forward."
The thrilling victory unfolded when a Western New England player was fouled to the right of the penalty area with less than a minute remaining, and overtime seemingly a possibility with the way the two sides played to a scoreless deadlock for most of the contest. Dickinson fed a crisp free kick into the middle of the box where two Golden Bears dummied the ball, hitting Trautwein in stride and shooting into the back of the net.
"It's unusual to score that late in regulation where it actually feels like a Golden Goal situation, so we were very fortunate in that respect," Sullivan said, referring to the decisive moments. "The goal came off of a well-executed set piece that involved a good delivery from Ryan and a brilliant dummy run by Jordan Martins, both of whom had excellent matches. From there Scott simply had to keep his composure and slot it home which he did in clinical fashion. It was fitting that Scott nabbed the game-winner as he had worked so hard throughout the game and had come so close to scoring on several previous occasions.
"Today we learned what individual persistence and team depth can lead to in a college soccer game. Scoring in the 90th minute like that is in part the result of all the small efforts and 1v1 battles that players compete for throughout the match. I think our second half performance was tremendous and many players contributed in small, but incredibly meaningful ways. In the end, quality passing and unselfishness put us in the right position of the field--in the dying moments of regulation--to capitalize on a game-winning opportunity and the players are to be commended for their resolve throughout the match," he concluded.
Western New England dictated the pace of the match by outshooting the Owls 15-6 (doubling up shots on goal, 6-3) and earning five of the seven corner kicks. The Golden Bears had a decided 11-3 shots advantage in the second half.
Strobel, a sophomore, made the first three saves of his career to chalk up his first career win in his second appearance for the Golden Bears. Keith Hevey stopped five shots to help keep Westfield within striking distance.
Western New England had a golden opportunity to get an early lead in the 20th minute when junior co-captain Colin Macdonald's penalty kick attempt was denied by Hevey.
The Owls had scoring chances miss the target late in the first half when Cody Baglow took a shot wide in the 38th minute and a Nick Tavares blast went high in the 44th.
In today's other WNE Soccer City Classic action, Rhode Island College shut out Wheelock College 9-0. The Anchormen received balanced scoring as nine different players found the back of the net, including Jose Zarraga, Brian Sujecki, Solomon Agyemang, Steven Cardoso and Akiel Legall who added an assist apiece.
Sunshine Shearer made 18 saves for the Wildcats, who were outshot 58 to 1. Adam Ghazal did not have to make a stop in the RIC goal.
Rhode Island College led 4-0 at halftime.
Sunday's schedule includes Wheelock against Westfield at noon and WNE playing RIC at 2:30 p.m. to complete a classic format. A champion will be crowned and an all-tournament team announced following the conclusion of the second match of the day.
"Today's result was a very hard-fought win against a spirited team. Full credit goes to Coach (John) Evans and Westfield State for starting the game in strong fashion," Western New England coach Erin Sullivan said after the match. "They put us on our heels early and controlled large portions of the first half. We were able to survive the onslaught thanks to solid play and leadership from our back four and goalkeeper Kevin Strobel who got his first collegiate shutout today. There is no doubt we'll need to start matches better moving forward."
The thrilling victory unfolded when a Western New England player was fouled to the right of the penalty area with less than a minute remaining, and overtime seemingly a possibility with the way the two sides played to a scoreless deadlock for most of the contest. Dickinson fed a crisp free kick into the middle of the box where two Golden Bears dummied the ball, hitting Trautwein in stride and shooting into the back of the net.
"It's unusual to score that late in regulation where it actually feels like a Golden Goal situation, so we were very fortunate in that respect," Sullivan said, referring to the decisive moments. "The goal came off of a well-executed set piece that involved a good delivery from Ryan and a brilliant dummy run by Jordan Martins, both of whom had excellent matches. From there Scott simply had to keep his composure and slot it home which he did in clinical fashion. It was fitting that Scott nabbed the game-winner as he had worked so hard throughout the game and had come so close to scoring on several previous occasions.
"Today we learned what individual persistence and team depth can lead to in a college soccer game. Scoring in the 90th minute like that is in part the result of all the small efforts and 1v1 battles that players compete for throughout the match. I think our second half performance was tremendous and many players contributed in small, but incredibly meaningful ways. In the end, quality passing and unselfishness put us in the right position of the field--in the dying moments of regulation--to capitalize on a game-winning opportunity and the players are to be commended for their resolve throughout the match," he concluded.
Western New England dictated the pace of the match by outshooting the Owls 15-6 (doubling up shots on goal, 6-3) and earning five of the seven corner kicks. The Golden Bears had a decided 11-3 shots advantage in the second half.
Strobel, a sophomore, made the first three saves of his career to chalk up his first career win in his second appearance for the Golden Bears. Keith Hevey stopped five shots to help keep Westfield within striking distance.
Western New England had a golden opportunity to get an early lead in the 20th minute when junior co-captain Colin Macdonald's penalty kick attempt was denied by Hevey.
The Owls had scoring chances miss the target late in the first half when Cody Baglow took a shot wide in the 38th minute and a Nick Tavares blast went high in the 44th.
In today's other WNE Soccer City Classic action, Rhode Island College shut out Wheelock College 9-0. The Anchormen received balanced scoring as nine different players found the back of the net, including Jose Zarraga, Brian Sujecki, Solomon Agyemang, Steven Cardoso and Akiel Legall who added an assist apiece.
Sunshine Shearer made 18 saves for the Wildcats, who were outshot 58 to 1. Adam Ghazal did not have to make a stop in the RIC goal.
Rhode Island College led 4-0 at halftime.
Sunday's schedule includes Wheelock against Westfield at noon and WNE playing RIC at 2:30 p.m. to complete a classic format. A champion will be crowned and an all-tournament team announced following the conclusion of the second match of the day.
