BOSTON - Ben Pierce's (Meriden, Conn.) 13th-minute goal lifted the Albertus Magnus College men's soccer team to a 1-0 road victory over Emmanuel (Mass.) College on Saturday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play.
David Lucero (East Haven, Conn.) started in goal for the Falcons and was flawless, going 3-for-3 in save opportunities to preserve a 1-0 shutout.
THE BASICS
FINAL: Albertus Magnus 1 | Emmanuel (Mass.) 0
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (5-1-3, 3-0-2 GNAC) | Emmanuel (2-4-2, 0-3-1 GNAC)
BOX SCORE
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons raced to an early lead, scoring 12:20 into the contest.
• Pierce took a pass from Yahya Kardad (Wallingford, Conn.) and deposited it through the goalposts for the first goal of today's match.
• The Saints countered with a barrage of shots and corner kicks for the rest of the first half, but Lucero remained firm and held the home team off the scoreboard.
• The two teams traded possession for much of the second half.
• Albertus' defense held strong over the final 45 minutes, as the Falcons handed the Saints a 1-0 home GNAC loss.
BETWEEN THE PIPES
Albertus - David Lucero (W, 5-1-1): 3 Shots on Goal | 0 Goals-Against | 3 Saves
Emmanuel - Vincent Conelli (L, 2-4-2): 3 Shots on Goal | 1 Goal-Against | 2 Saves
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• The Saints outshot the Falcons by an 11-7 margin.
• Emmanuel out-cornered Albertus, 8-1.
• The Falcons made three saves to the Saints' two.
• AMC was called for nine fouls, while Emmanuel was called for 13.
NOTEWORTHY
• Today's match was the 21st in the all-time series between the Falcons and Saints.
• With the win, Albertus improved to 9-7-5 all-time versus Emmanuel.
• Pierce scored his second goal of the season in the contest.
• Pierce became the fourth Falcon to tally multiple goals in 2022.
• Kardad picked up his second career assist today.
• Lucero picked up his fifth shutout in nine starts this season.
UP NEXT
The Falcons return home to close out their September slate with a match against GNAC foe Johnson & Wales (R.I.) University on Wednesday, Sept. 28. The opening kick-off is set for 7 p.m. on Celentano Field.