Fitchburg State Outlasts Elms College, 1-0 (2 OT)

Burns lifts Falcons to second victory with first collegiate goal

FITCHBURG, Mass. (September 4, 2013) – The Fitchburg State men's soccer team received a clutch overtime marker from freshman Jared Burns (E. Bridgewater, Mass.) to earn a 1-0 double-overtime victory over Elms College this evening.

Burns partnered with sophomore Tom Sorrentino (West Haven, Conn.) to net the game-winning tally as the rookie forward netted his first collegiate goal. Sorrentino set up the play down the right sideline, centering the ball to Burns, who delivered the key target to the back of the net.

Junior Aidan Hanratty (E. Bridgewater, Mass.) also stole the spotlight for the Falcons, collecting nine saves between the pipes, including a pair of back-to-back stops on some big pressure situations from the Blazers.

The Falcons played nearly the entire contest down a man after receiving a red card early in the match, but the solid play of Hanratty proved to be the equalizer for Fitchburg State. Elms created several scoring opportunities early in the first half, but a pair of diving saves from Hanratty kept the game at a 0-0 standstill.

In the second half, Elms threatened again, rifling off back-to-back shots which Hanratty stonewalled in succession. The Blazers strung together a set of scoring opportunities again with nearly 13 minutes remaining in regulation, but a strong effort by Hanratty, again, kept the game at a 0-0 deadlock.

The first overtime produced minimal scoring opportunities for each team as neither squad registered a target on net. The second extra frame then set the stages for Burns' game-winner in the 103rd minute.

For the contest, Elms outshot Fitchburg State, 22-1 while posting a 10-1 advantage in corner kicks. Hanratty was stellar in net for the Falcons, posting nine saves en route to his first shutout of the season, while Christian Kostka (Oxford, Conn.) stopped four shots for the visitors.

Fitchburg State (2-1, 0-0 MASCAC) will be back in action on Saturday as it hosts Becker College at 12 p.m. Elms (0-2, 0-0 NECC) will host New England College on Saturday at 1 p.m.