The Massachusetts men’s club soccer team handled Yale, 1-0, amid poor weather conditions on Sunday.
Dillon McConvey scored the lone goal of the contest, bending a shot past the Yale goalkeeper in the 47th minute. Erik Alvarenga earned the assist for the Maroon and White after spotting McConvey on a field switch.
The UMass defense thwarted the Bulldog offense, denying them any hope for an equalizer. Julien Riker, Kevin Frechette, Sam Prickett and McConvey continued their physical play on the defensive end, as they have all year long.
“When any game is sloppy like that, usually the more physical team wins,” senior goalkeeper Miles Bisher said.
The rain from Friday and Saturday resulted in a muddy playing surface, causing both sides to adjust their play.
Both teams had to capitalize on the limited scoring opportunities, however the Bulldogs offense could not put together any offensive threat.
Yale did not create a quality shot on goal, as the majority of its shots were weak strikes passing through the defense.
The shutout marks the Minutemen’s seventh of the season, with additional goalless efforts coming against Holy Cross, Cornell, Northeastern, Tufts, Johns Hopkins and Pennsylvania.
Junior Nick Petrisis started the game in net and was later relieved by Bisher to start the second half. The two have split time throughout the entire season.
The Minutemen have received solid defensive play throughout the season, disrupting opponents’ offensive sets and rhythm. Bisher also attributes their success towards being “fundamentally sound.”
“We make good tackles, never panic and always cover for each other,” Bisher said.
The game was played at the Amherst High School Junior Varsity field due to a lack of footing in the field behind McGuirk Stadium, which is UMass’ typical home field. Lining complications were a factor as well, as football lines were drawn across the field the day prior as high school marching bands rehearsed for Band Day at Saturday’s football game.
UMass outnumbered Yale, as the Bulldogs lacked substitutes, giving the Minutemen a distinct advantage. UMass handled its own substitutions, responding to teammates’ fatigue and equally distributing playing time.
The win improves the UMass’ record to 10-2-3, as Yale falls to 7-3-2.
The Minutemen are unbeaten in their last 11 games, posting a 9-0-2 record during that stretch. Tremendous defense and ball control are strong determiners of the team’s recent surge.
Bisher explained that the team is “best when we … possess the ball and make smart runs off the ball.”
Sunday’s game marked UMass’ first since emerging as co-champions with Delaware in the regional tournament on Oct. 23. The Minutemen earned an automatic bid to the 2010 NCCS National Soccer Championships, one of only 18 teams to do so across the nation.
UMass is hitting its stride at the perfect time, as it continues its preparation for the national tournament on Nov. 18 in Phoenix, Ariz.
The Minutemen face their next test on Saturday, as the New England Collegiate Club Soccer League tournament begins play at Dartmouth College. Yale concludes their regular season against Harvard on Nov. 19.
Stephen Sellner can be reached at [email protected].
