Fitchburg State Takes Down MCLA, 3-1

Falcons post fourth consecutive victory with key MASCAC win

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. (October 24, 2009) - Junior Lionso Ventura (Westminster, Mass./Oakmont) led Fitchburg State to a key 3-1 MASCAC victory over host MCLA, netting two goals at rain soaked Shewcraft Field this afternoon. 

With the victory, Fitchburg State moves within one game of reaching the MASCAC playoffs under fifth-year head coach Steve Naboicheck. The Falcons will search to defeat Framingham State College next Saturday, while hoping for a Salem State loss to clinch the fourth-seed in the MASCAC standings.

The first half opened in a steady rain as the Falcons controlled much of the play.  Fitchburg State got on the board first, scoring just ten minutes into the contest when Trevor Higgins (Kittery Point, Maine/Traip Academy) knocked home a cross from rookie Jonathan Diaz-Atto (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) for a 1-0 lead. Ventura would follow with his first of the day just 1:26 later when he took a Higgins pass and beat MCLA keeper Evan Coe (Hopewell Jct, N.Y./Hopewell) to give the Falcons a 2-0 advantage.

MCLA turned up the pressure to start the second half and trimmed the lead when sophomore Casey Baker (Hudson, OH) was taken down in the box.  Baker would convert the ensuing penalty kick cutting the Falcon lead in half, but Ventura h answered quickly, taking another pass from Diaz-Atto for the back breaking goal in the 62nd minute.

The rest of the game was plagued with several penalties resulting in four yellow cards and a red.  MCLA out-shot the Falcons 18-14 on the afternoon, however Fitchburg keeper Matt Carey (Stratford, Conn./Bunnell) notched three saves to keep the Falcon lead safe. Coe finished the contest with four stops for the visitors, while Adam Tarsa (Adams, Mass./Hoosac Valley) stopped one shot in 26 minutes of work.

Fitchburg State (6-7-2, 2-3-1 MASCAC) will be in action this Wednesday as it travels to Eastern Connecticut State University at 3:30 p.m. MCLA (7-6-1, 1-4-1 MASCAC) will visit SUNY Cobleskill on Wednesday at 3 p.m.

CLICK HERE FOR BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

Fitchburg State 3, MCLA 1

Scoring:
First Half: FIT: Trevor Higgins (Jonathan Diaz-Atto), 10:07; FIT: Lionso Ventura (Higgins), 11:33;
Second Half: MCL: Casey Baker, 57:28; FIT: Ventura (Diaz-Atto), 61:30;
Goaltending: FIT: Matt Carey (90:00), three saves; MCL: Evan Coe (64:01), four saves; Adam Tarsa (25:59), one save.
Shots: FIT: 14; MCL: 18