BEVERLY, Mass.- Coming off of a 1-1 draw against Nichols on Saturday, Endicott was eager to get back into the win column on Tuesday night as the Gulls played host to the Raiders of Rivier in men's soccer action. After 90 minutes of physical play, Endicott would come out victorious, recording a 2-0 shutout win in the process. With the win, Endicott moves to 4-3-1 (1-0-1 CCC) while Rivier now falls to 1-5-0 (1-1-0).
The first half was a physical affair from the start as both teams looked to control the tempo and flow from the opening whistle. Endicott was able to piece together some solid runs early and maintained possession for a good part of the half as they would out-shoot Rivier 12-3. Endicott's Connor Couchot (Mason, Ohio) recorded Endicott's first three shots of the match, all within the first 10 minutes. His best look came in the sixth minute as he was able to get a shot off of a throw in what was blocked out by the Rivier defense.
Rivier was able to counter on a run by Jerry Krahn (Greene, R.I.) and Danny Connelly (Bedford, N.H.) as the duo used the right wing with skill. Krahn and Connelly paired together some solid passing that eventually led to a shot on goal by Krahn off of a give and go that forced Endicott keeper Alex Jorge (Billerica, Mass.) to make one of his three saves on the night.
Endicott's Couchot remained eager as the half progressed, eventually assisting on the first goal of the match that would also serve as the game winner in the 25th minute. The Gulls, whose team passing was impressive all night, saw Couchot and junior Zach Rizzo (Redding, Conn.) work the mid-left half of the field and work their way deep into Raider territory. Once in the box, Rizzo received a beautiful ball from Couchot right on his foot that he blasted past Rivier keeper Anthony Capozzi (Windham, Mass.) to give Endicott the 1-0 lead, a lead that they would never surrender.
A header from Rivier sophomore Alex Armstrong (Wakefield, R.I.) off of a free kick taken by Kyle Gambeski (Bedford, N.H.) was saved by Jorge and led to a quick counter by the Gulls in the 29th minute. After the save with 29:33 on the clock, the Gulls broke out down the right flank and eventually found freshman Thomas Martin (Derry, N.H.) on the right edge of the box. A bouncing ball was settled quickly and rocketed on net to give the Gulls the 2-0 lead.
Endicott would almost extend the lead in the 39th minute when Connor Gibbs (Westborough, Mass.) fired a shot on goal from the top of the box that forced a diving Capozzi to make his first save of the evening to keep the scores at 2-0. The first half would close with the Gulls earning the edge in corners (5-1), saves (2-1), shots (12-3) and shots on goal (3-2). Endicott was also whistled for more fouls (4-3) than Rivier, setting the tone for a physical second half.
The second half would see Endicott record the first shot of the frame in the 51st minute as Diego Slobotzky (Mexico City, Mexico) attempted to extend his goal streak to five straight matches when he lifted an off-balance chip shot on goal. Capozzi made the save easily, his first of four in the half.
The Raiders best opportunity of the night came in the 54th minute when Dan Connelly would almost cut the Endicott lead in half. Connelly would take a free kick from 35 yards out and fire a shot towards the top right corner. Alex Jorge was quick on his feet, making the leaping save look routine as he made his only save of the half to preserve the shutout.
The Gulls and Raiders would play the remaining time without any more tallies on the scoreboard to keep the score 2-0 giving Jorge his fourth shutout of the season and lowering his goals against average to 0.73. In the second half, Endicott would again hold a strong advantage in shots, edging Rivier 12-2 to out-shoot them 24-5 in the match.
For the Gulls, the win was the fourth win in their last five contests and lifted their unbeaten streak to five straight, improving their record to 4-3-1 overall. Endicott is now off until Saturday when they host CCC rival Roger Williams for a 4:00 p.m. start as part of Endicott's Homecoming Weekend. Rivier dropped their fourth straight decision on the season and falls to 1-5-0. The Raiders also return to action on Saturday when they play host to Mt. Ida in GNAC play at 12:00 p.m.
