Fitchburg State Outlasts Elms College, 1-0

Vikoler collects first collegiate goal in Falcons first victory of the season

CHICOPEE, Mass. (September 3, 2014) – The Fitchburg State men's soccer team received a clutch marker from sophomore Simon Vikoler (Chiusa, Italy) to earn a 1-0 victory over Elms College this evening in non-conference action at Leary Field in Chicopee.

Vikoler collected a loose ball rebound off a shot from sophomore Mauro Gimenez (Fitchburg, Mass.) to net the game-winning tally as the sophomore forward netted his first collegiate goal. Gimenez's initial shot was blocked by an Elms defender but Vikoler was able to gather the ball and fire a shot into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead at the 85:21 mark.

In the first half, the Blazers created several scoring opportunities, registering seven shots on goal, but Falcon goalkeeper Aidan Hanratty (E. Bridgewater, Mass.) was stellar in net, stopping all seven shots he faced in the stanza in preserve the 0-0 stalemate going into intermission.

Following the break, Elms threatened again, rifling off a pair off shots from senior Brendan Reynolds (Springfield, Mass.) and sophomore Scott Labrie (Southampton, Mass.), which Hanratty stonewalled in succession. Setting the stages for Vikoler's game-winner with just under five minutes remaining in regulation, resulting in the 1-0 final.

For the contest, Elms outshot Fitchburg State, 19-10 while also posting a 6-1 advantage in corner kicks. Between the pipes, Hanratty posted ten saves en-route to his first shutout of the season, while junior Ryan Harris (Brandon, Miss.) made five stops for the hosts in the setback.

Fitchburg State (1-2-0, 0-0-0 MASCAC) will be back in action next Thursday as it hosts the Beacons of UMass Boston at 7 p.m. Elms (0-1-1, 0-0-0 NECC) will visit Vassar College on Saturday at 1 p.m.