Men's Soccer Comes Up Short to Rivier 3-2

NEWTON, Mass. (10/8/16) -- The Lasell College men's soccer team scored two goals in the second half, but came up on the short end of a 3-2 decision against Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) foe Rivier University on Saturday at Taylor Field.

The Lasers drop to 1-11 after their fifth one-goal defeat of the season and second in three contests, while the Raiders earned their third win in four contests to jump above .500 at 6-5-1.

The Raiders scored just 93 seconds into the match as senior Kyle Gambeski (Bedford, N.H.) set classmate Jerry Krahn (Greene, R.I.) up for his first goal of the season off a through ball from the  midfield.

Lasell held a 9-6 shot advantage in the first half, but Rivier's goal was the lone scored through 45 minutes. Freshman Jackson Burhans (Berlin, N.Y.) made three saves in the frame and totaled six in the game.

Junior Stephen Blood (Windsor, Conn.) leveled the score at the tail end of the 58th minute, beating Rivier freshman goalkeeper Collin Deyarmin (Raymond, N.H.) on a long shot from outside the box on the right side. Freshman Gerard Lemus (Revere, Mass.) assisted on Blood's fifth goal of the season for the Lasers.

Lasell took a 2-1 lead thanks to a 65th-minute own goal, but surrendered back-to-back goals in less than a ten-minute span. Gambeski did the scoring himself on Rivier's game-tying goal in the 70th minute, converting a penalty kick for his third goal of the season.

Rivier took the lead for good at the 71:12 marker as senior Alex Armstrong (Wakefield, R.I.) scored the Raiders' second consecutive unassisted goal, capitalizing on a misplayed ball inside the box.

Lasell posted ten of the 17 second-half shots, totaling a 19-13 advantage for the game. Senior Jonathan Sutton (Orange, Conn.) and sophomore Kenan Omerbasic (Windsor Locks, Conn.) took four shots apiece for the Lasers.

In a battle of freshman goalkeepers, Deyarmin earned his fifth win of the season with a seven-save effort, while Burhans slipped to 0-5. The match was a physical one as each team was handed a yellow card and there were a combined 42 fouls.

The Lasers return to action on Monday, October 10 as Johnson & Wales visits Taylor Field for a 3:30 p.m. contest, while the Raiders host Albertus Magnus that same day at 4:00 p.m.