Late Surge Pushes Johnson & Wales Past Men’s Soccer

PAXTON, MA : The Anna Maria College men's soccer team 5-1 against Johnson & Wales University on Wednesday evening in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action at Carposo Field in Paxton, Massachusetts.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Wednesday, September 29, 2021
• Score: Johnson & Wales 5, Anna Maria 1
• Records: Wildcats of Johnson & Wales (6-1, 3-1 GNAC) | AMCATS of Anna Maria (1-7-1, 1-3 GNAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The AMCATS got the jump on the Wildcats – the defending GNAC conference champions - in the seventh minute when Anna Maria grad student midfielder Nick Lawrence (North Attleboro, MA) took a throw-in from junior forward Hezekiah Adeyeye (Woonsocket, RI) and chipped it in over the keeper's head for his fourth goal of the season. Anna Maria went up 1-0, and despite a flurry of shots by the visitors, that remained the score going into halftime.
• The Wildcats finally scored the equalizer in the 53^rd minute when junior midfielder Austin Sweeney (Nutley, NJ) capitalized on a free kick from first year Conner Elliott (Mansfield, MA) and finished at the net to tie it at 1-1.
• Less than eleven minutes later, Johnson & Wales took their first lead of the game when Sweeney took a pass from senior forward Ricky Africo (North Providence, RI) and exploded for a breakaway goal from a collapsing AMCAT defense for his second goal of the game, and the Wildcats leading 2-1.
• That would open the floodgates, as JWU would score three more goals in the fins seven minutes of the match. Sweeney would finish with a hat trick while Elliott and senior forward JP Rioux (Stony Point, NY) would also find the back of the net.
• Anna Maria freshman goalkeeper David Flores (San Antonio, TX) was a force in net for the AMCATS, finishing the game with a career-high 14 saves.

UP NEXT:

Anna Maria will be back on the field on Saturday when they host RIvier University in a 12:00 p.m. match.  

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