Box Score NEWPORT, R.I. – Freshman Rainer Randell (Providence, R.I.) notched a pair of goals to help the Salve Regina University men's soccer team defeat Eastern Nazarene, 5-1, during the Seahawks' Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) opener at Brother Reynolds Field on Wednesday evening. With the win, the Seahawks are off to their first 4-0-0 start in program history, while also improving to 1-0-0 in the conference. The loss was the second straight for the Lions who drop to 2-3-0 overall and 0-2-0 in CCC play.
Rainer led all players with four points on two goals while sophomore Zachary Kraft (Tenafly, N.J.) earned three points by collecting both a goal and an assist. Sophomore Alex Wasilewski (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) and freshman Andrew Chenard (Kingston, Mass.) both added goals for the Seahawks while senior Jacob Brigandi (Vernon, Conn.), sophomore Issa Demirgioglu (Smithfield, R.I.), and sophomore Devin L'Heureux (Litchfield, N.H.) each dished out an assist in the victory. Freshman goalkeeper Daniel Stern (Kings Park, N.Y.) earned the win in net for the Seahawks, making three saves to improve to 3-0-0 in his first three collegiate games.
Junior Edgar Arceo (Minden, Nev.) scored the lone goal for the Lions, while senior Josh Kaplan (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) dished out an assist.
The Seahawks jumped on the scoreboard in the 11th minute when Wasilewski got behind the Lions defense off a pass from Brigandi and beat the ENC goalie down low to give Salve Regina an early 1-0 advantage.
However, the Lions answered right back less then three minutes later, as Kaplan headed the ball to Arceo who quickly gathereded the pass and blasted a shot into the net to tie the score at 1-all.
Randell put the Seahawks back on top in the 29th minute, making several nifty moves to beat two ENC defenders in the box, before then sneaking a shot into the lower left corner for his fourth goal on the season.
The Seahawks gave themselves some breathing room in the 39th minute when Chenard took a feed from L'Heureux and chipped it over the goalie to give Salve Regina a 3-1 edge heading into the break.
Salve Regina expanded its lead 18 minutes into the second half as senior Bobby Ernst (Needham, Mass.) passed to Kraft who sent the ball toward the right post where it was tapped in by Rainer for his second goal on the evening.
Kraft then sealed the 5-1 victory in the 67th minute, taking a pass from Demirgioglu and chipping the ball up over the ENC goalie for the final score of the contest.
Both teams will continue conference play this Saturday, as Eastern Nazarene travels to face Wentworth at 3 p.m., and the Seahawks host Gordon at 2:30 p.m.
