Oct. 13, 2007
BEVERLY, MA - Pirapong Sirikietsoong (Bankok, Thailand) found the back of the net with just over ten minutes left in regulation to vault the Endicott College men's soccer team over TCCC rival Nichols College 1-0 and in the process gave the Gulls their first win of the season.
The two teams played back and forth for most of the contest but the Gulls offense really put the pressure on in the second half out shooting the Bison 11-3. The Blue and Green broke the scoreless tie in the 79th minute when Eric Booth (Belchertown, MA/Belchertown) drove a shot toward the goal but had it inadvertently blocked by teammate Benjamin Graves (Peterborough, NH/Conval). Sirikietsoong then collected the ricochet and pushed it across the goal line to give EC a 1-0 lead.
The lone goal was all Endicott would need for its first win of the year as the Gulls defense, led by Booth, played very well. EC goalkeeper Cameron Twiss (Reading, MA/Bishop Fenwick) turned away all six shots that came his way en route to the shutout. Nichols goalie Clayton Johnson (Williamstown, MA/Mt. Greylock) also played well in net making nine saves, including a pair of diving saves on shots from Sirikietsoong and Joseph Ryan (Peabody, MA/Peabody).
The Bison got strong performances from Scott Thomas Gruner (Torrington, CT/Torrington) and Matthew Soderberg (Douglas, MA/Douglas) who combined for three shots but Twiss and the EC defense proved to be a formidable opponent. Anchored by Booth, Ryan and TJ Sapienza (Milford, NH/Milford) the Gulls held the Bison to just six shots and Nichols did not manage a corner kick until the second half.
The loss drops Nichols to 4-10-1 overall and 2-7-1 in The Commonwealth Coast Conference while the win boosts the Blue and Green to 1-8-3 overall and 1-6-2 in TCCC play.
Nichols returns to the field Tuesday night when they host Fitchburg State in a non-conference match-up in Dudley, MA. The Gulls look to stay on the winning track when they head to Lewiston, ME to take on non-conference foe Bates College on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m.