In its final regular season game, the Massachusetts men’s soccer team came away with a crucial 5-1 win over St. Bonaventure on Saturday. The win makes it likely that UMass (10-3-4, 5-2-1 Atlantic 10) will finish top four in the conference and earn a home playoff game. The Bonnies (6-8-3, 2-4-2 A-10) were eliminated from playoff contention after their loss.
History was made in the Minutemen’s season finale as Alec Hughes set the program’s all-time scoring record, passing Jeff Deren with his 49th career goal. In the 68th minute, Hughes was in a one-on-one race for the ball with Xaver Ehrlich. Hughes beat Ehrlich on the play and against goalkeeper Nicolas Pucci, the graduate student cut to his left and squeezed the ball just past the left post for his record-breaking goal.
Saturday’s game was reminiscent of last season’s matchup between UMass and St. Bonaventure in which the Minutemen won 5-2. One year later, UMass once again poured it on in Olean, tying its second-highest goal output of the season with five goals.
After leading 2-1 at halftime, the Minutemen put the game away with three second half goals. Hughes tied the scoring record with his first goal of the game in the 53rd minute, giving UMass a commanding 3-1 lead. Johan Feilscher got the ball ahead to Hughes inside the box, where his first shot attempt was defended well and deflected by the Bonnies. Hughes, however, got the ball again for a second chance and scored, bouncing the ball off the shoulder of a St. Bonaventure defender.
The Minutemen’s offensive dominance continued a few minutes later, as Oliver Akintade sent an accurate ball near the right post for an easy goal scored by Andrew Ortiz into the top corner. Hughes’ second goal in the 68th minute was the cherry on top of a dominant UMass win.
The Minutemen both started and finished strong, scoring their first goal just four minutes into the contest. There, Feilscher sent a great service into the box off a corner kick and Kyle Stenzel bounced it off his leg at the top of the goal area. For Stenzel, a graduate transfer from Christopher Newport University, the play marked his first goal with UMass.
In the ninth minute, the Minutemen continued their hot start with a second goal. Neshawn Sutherland of the Bonnies was whistled for a foul on Mike Willis, which led to a free kick. Matt Cence sent the free kick towards the box, which caused Pucci to race out and attempt to retrieve the ball. Stenzel beat the goalie and headed the ball right to Aidan Kelly, who drilled it into the back of the net.
St. Bonaventure scored its first goal of the game after a Kenzo Brito corner kick bounced off the head of a Minuteman into the back of the net for an own goal. After UMass’ mistake, the Bonnies tried to capitalize on their momentum with a second goal, but they were unable to do so. The closest St. Bonaventure got was in the 38th minute when a rocket from Sven Merkesdal bounced off the left post, possibly an inch away from being a sensational game-tying goal.
The Minutemen will now await other results around the conference to see who they will play in the first round of the A-10 tournament. The A-10 quarterfinals are scheduled to take place on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9.
Marco Lopez can be reached at [email protected].
