MSOC: Lasell downs Curry for first victory; Villacorta scores twice for Lasers

NEWTON, Mass. – Senior transfer Francisco Villacorta (Lima, Peru) scored two goals and assisted on another Tuesday afternoon as Lasell University posted its first victory of the campaign with a 3-1 triumph over Curry College in non-conference men's soccer action at Taylor Field.

Junior Simon Nigro (Simsbury, Conn.) also scored for the Lasers as they upped their record to 1-6 on the season, while Curry drops to 2-5.

After being shut out in its last four games, Lasell wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard with two goals in the first seven minutes. Villacorta set up Nigro for the first goal in the third minute as Nigro blasted a shot from 20 yards out into the left side of the goal. Villacorta then scored a goal of his own in the seventh minute with a shot into the left corner of the goal.

Curry went on to out-shoot the Lasers 5-3 in the first 45 minutes but Lasell held a 2-0 lead.

Both teams had several scoring opportunities in the second half. Nigro bounced one off the cross bar for Lasell early on, and Curry knocked one off the right goal post. Curry senior Nolan Reimondo (Portland, Conn.) had a shot knocked away by Lasell keeper Chris Tran (Nantucket, Mass.), and Lasell junior Kevin Pitt (Bayshore, N.Y.) chipped one just over the goal midway through the frame.

The Colonels sliced the margin in half in the 67th minute when freshman Seth Blasingim (Draper, Utah) got one past Tran from six yards out for his first career goal. Curry kept the pressure on the Laser goal but Villacorta sealed the win for Lasell with 1:31 remaining when he split two defenders and then chipped the ball over the keeper for his second goal of the game.

Tran earned the win for Lasell, making six saves, as Curry finished with a 14-7 advantage in shots. Senior Paul DeMaio (North Andover, Mass.) made just one save for the visitors.

Lasell returns to Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Saturday, September 21, visiting the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) for a 2:30 match-up. Curry returns home to host Nichols College on Saturday in a Commonwealth Coast Conference meeting at 6 p.m.

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