Fitchburg State Downs Nichols, 1-0 (OT)
| Final | 1 | 2 | OT | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fitchburg St. (4-5-0) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
|
Nichols (5-6-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Gimenez nets game winner in Falcons fourth win of the season
DUDLEY, Mass. – Junior forward Mauro Gimenez netted the game winning marker four and half minutes into overtime to the Fitchburg State University men's soccer team to a 1-0 overtime win over the Bison of Nichols College at Vendetti Field this evening.
Following a scoreless regulation, Fitchburg State broke the 0-0 stalemate at the 94:38 mark as Gimenez capitalized on Bison miscue in their own end of the field and deposited the ball into an empty net for his third score on the season, resulting in the 1-0 Falcons victory.
In the opening period, neither team was able to find the back of the net with the two teams trading opportunities throughout the frame, combining for 12 shots. Junior forward Ryan Banker had the Bison's best scoring chance of the half, blasting a short range shot on target, but Falcon keeper Rondinelle DePaula was able to made the save to preserve the 0-0 deadlock going into the intermission.
Following the break, Fitchburg State nearly took the lead midway through the half when juniors Jefferson Acha and Uriel Sanchez put shots on frame only to have Nichols netminder Patrick Porpora stop both shots to send the game into overtime, setting the stages for Gimenez's game winner.
Throughout the match, Nichols held a 19-15 margin in shots, while also holding a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks. In goal, DePaula stopped seven shots for the Falcons en-route to earning the clean sheet, while the duo of Porpora and senior Alex Geas combined to make eight saves for Nichols.
Fitchburg State (4-5-0, 0-2-0 MASCAC) returns to action on Saturday as it travels to Worcester State University to take on the Lancers at 2 p.m. Nichols (5-6-0, 2-1-0 TCCC) will hosts the Nor'easters of New England University on Saturday at 1 p.m.