Gulls Victorious Over Rivier After Offensive Outburst

BEVERLY, MASS. -  Against Rivier, Endicott raced out to a 6-0 halftime lead behind an offensive explosion that saw the Gulls attempt 25 shots in the first frame.  Endicott was able to build on the lead and finish off the evening with a score of 8-0 behind impressive multi-point matches from Alex Elia, Alex Tonsberg and James Mercer.

The Gulls were lead offensively by midfielder Alex Tonsberg.  The freshman netted the first two goals of his career.  "I thought we played well as a team today," said Tonsberg.  "It was great for my home debut.  I'm happy that I was able to contribute to a win in our first home game."  Tonsberg's two goals came within two minutes of eachother near the end of the first half in the 42nd and 44th minutes.

Junior captain Alex Elia finished the match with two assists on the day, one of which was a strong cross from left to right that found Mark Greco on the other end.  Elia was a stabilizing force after a rocky start in the game that saw both teams struggling to mount an attack.  "It was a quick paced game for the first 15-20 minutes and once we were able to settle in and be composed on the ball, we were able to not rush anything and finish our passes," Elia said.  "Everyone who came into the game worked hard and kept their composure which opened up the offensive end for us."

James Mercer, who saw the first home action of his career after missing last season with an ACL injury, was also a key contributor with his first career multi-point game.  The midfielder was able to net a goal and tally an assist in the contest.  When asked how it felt to finally take the field at Endicott stadium, Mercer stated, "After missing last season with an injury, it feels great to be able to help out the team and contribute.  It was pretty much a dream debut to be able to record three points and get a win in my first home match."

The Gulls were able to work hard and get multiple quality scoring chances throughout the game.  Endicott recorded 42 shots overall and 15 shots on goal, eight of which found the net.  Of the eight goals, five were assisted.  Endicott goal keepers Daniel Higgins and Colby Gavigan teamed up to combine for the shutout.  Endicott is now off until September 8th as well as they host North Shore rival Salem State at 5:00 P.M.

Rivier was led by Danny Connelly who was able to register a shot and was able to put pressure on the Endicott defense.  Rivier keeper Matthew St. Peter made some solid saves, one of them diving to his left to protect the low corner on a near post shot.  He finished the match with seven saves.  The Raiders are now off until they host Norwich on September 8th.