UMass Dartmouth Uses Free Kick to Take Down Men’s Soccer, 2-1

DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's Matt Vidal sent in a  free kick from 20 feet out in the 81st minute to break a 1-1 tie and lift the Corsairs over Suffolk, 2-1, Tuesday evening at Cressy Field.

Vidal's shot was a perfectly placed laser, beating Suffolk goalkeeper Nicholas Chamma in the top left corner.

UMass Dartmouth dominated offensive play for much of the contest. On the evening, the Corsairs registered 18 shots with five reaching goal to the Rams' six. It took nearly the whole game for UMD to convert, however, as scoring opened in the 58th minute due to a Suffolk own goal.

Ram freshman Jordan Casey then broke the game wide open, netting his team-leading third goal to even the score in the 80th minute. Casey was able to foot a long shot from the front left-side box, beating UMD's JP Rosa off a pass from classmate Hamada Hazzoum. It is the second straight game the two underclassmen teamed up for a tally. W

With the nonconference victory, the Corsairs rise to 8-7-1 on the season. Rosa, a freshman, claimed the victory with two saves to up his season mark to 2-1, while Chamma falls to 2-12-1 despite his three stops for the Rams. Suffolk concluded its regular season at 2-15-1 overall. 

Vidal was the Corsairs' catalyst, registering five shots. A trio of UMass Dartmouth players, including Stephan Teixeira, Jake Moreira and Junior Robert each contributed three tries.

For Suffolk, Casey put two shots on the score sheet, while Hazzoum, freshman Joel Shulman, sophomore Fernando Tome and junior Luca Cepollinarecorded a shot apiece.

Suffolk will open GNAC Tournament play on Sunday when they meet top-seeded Johnson & Wales in Providence, Rhode Island, on Sunday, Nov. 1 for a 1 p.m. quarterfinals tilt.