CCC Semis Sends Men’s Soccer to Western New England Tuesday

SUFFOLK at WESTERN NEW ENGLAND
Date Time Venue Live Video Live Stats Series Last Meeting   Last Suffolk Win Streak	Tuesday, Oct. 31 2:00 PM Supernant Field Springfield, Mass. Team1Sports.com WNEGoldenBears.com 1-8-0 (Since 2002) Oct. 10, 2023, L, 2-1 Oct. 11, 2003, W, 1-0 L7

BOSTON – Suffolk men's soccer continues its quest to capture the Commonwealth Coast Conference crown Tuesday, Oct. 31 when the fourth-seeded Rams make the trip to Springfield, Massachusetts for the conference semifinals at top-seed Western New England. Kick-off on Halloween is scheduled for 2 p.m.

SOCIAL SAYINGS
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2023 CCC MEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT
Quarterfinals – Saturday, Oct. 28
Match 1: #4 Suffolk defeated #5 Endicott, 1-0 – Box Score
Match 2: #6 Curry defeated #3 Gordon, 4-2 – Box Score
Match 3: #2 Roger Williams defeated #7 Nichols, 2-0 – Box Score

Semifinals – Tuesday, Oct. 31
Match 4: #4 Suffolk at #1 Western New England – 2:00 PM – Live Stats | Live Video
Match 5: #6 Curry at #2 Roger Williams – 4:00 PM – Live Stats | Live Video

Championship – Saturday, Nov. 4
Match 6: Winner of Match 4 vs. Winner of Match 5 

SUFFOLK IN THE POSTSEASON

• Suffolk is in the midst its 21st overall conference postseason appearance, third in the CCC, with 18 visits to the GNAC conference tournament. 
• The blue-and-gold has gone onto a league semifinal showdown six times, with this season's trip. 
• Suffolk is 2-3-0 in the conference semis.
• The Rams last and second-ever win in the semis came in an upset as the fourth-seeded blue-and-gold defeated top-seeded Endicott, 2-0, in the 2022 CCC Tournament.
• All five of the Rams semifinal appearances have come on the road. 
• Overall, the Rams have hoisted a conference crown once, in 2010, when it captured the GNAC title. 
• Suffolk enters the field as the fourth seed for the second time in the CCC Tourney, and Bill Maddock era. 
• It is the second straight season and sixth time overall the Rams earned the fourth seed. 
• All six of the Rams semifinals runs and the pair of conference championship contest appearances have come when Suffolk is the league tournament's fourth seed. 
• Suffolk is 9-5 when competing as the fourth seed.
• The Rams will hosted their sixth-ever conference postseason game. 
• As the home team, the Rams are 5-1 in a conference tournament. 
• The Rams are 2-3-1 in the postseason in the Maddock era. 
• Suffolk potted three goals in the CCC Quarterfinals game against Salve Regina Oct. 29, 2022. The three strikes are the most in the playoffs by the Rams in program history. 
• Suffolk has needed extra time to determine a winner in a league postseason game three times. The Rams are 1-1-1 in OT outings in the playoffs. 
• Suffolk went into a PK shootout in the postseason for the first time in program history in the 2022 CCC Quarterfinals versus Salve Regina, Oct. 29, 2022. The Rams won the shootout, 5-4. 
• 18 of Suffolk's 28 postseason games have come via shutouts. The Rams are 4-14-0 in shutouts in a conference postseason. 
• At home, the Rams are 3-1-0 in postseason shutouts. 
• On the road, Suffolk sports a 1-13-0 postseason cleahseet record. 
• Suffolk's last shutout in the postseason came last year in the CCC Semifinals with a 2-0 win at Endicott.   

RAMS IN THE CCC CROWN CHASE

• The Rams are in their third straight trip to the CCC Tournament in as many years in the league. 
• Suffolk competed and hosted the CCC Quarterfinals for the second time in program history and in as many years. 
• The blue-and-gold won its first CCC Quarterfinal game with a 1-0 shutout of fifth seed Endicott Oct. 28, 2023. 
• Suffolk sports 2-3-1 all-time record in the CCC postseason. 
• Suffolk is playing in the CCC tourney as the fourth seed for the third straight season. 
• Suffolk advanced from the quarterfinals for the second time in as many years and in program history. 
• On the road, Suffolk is 1-3-0 in the CCC postseason games. 
• At home, the Rams are 2-0-0 in the CCC tournament.  

LAST TIME OUT
Matthew Belluardo lifted the fourth-seeded Suffolk men's soccer team to a 1-0 CCC Quarterfinals victory over the fifth-seeded Endicott Gulls with a goal in the 86th minute Saturday afternoon at James A. Sartori Stadium at East Boston Memorial Park.  

MORE READING: Moving On: Men's Soccer Shutouts Endicott in CCC Quarterfinals, 1-0 

SUFFOLK SCORES

RAMS RUNDOWN
Suffolk (10-5-3) reached the double-digit win mark Saturday behind its 1-0 CCC Quarterfinals win over Endicott Saturday. It is the first time in program history through the Rams year-by-year record book, which dates through the 2001 campaign, that it posted back-to-back 10-win season.  

The Rams' 34-goal offense has a quartet of players in double figures in Brady Sorensen (7g, 2a), Matthew Belluardo (6g, 1a), Diego Pierantozzi (6g, 1a) and Francisco Valck (3g, 5a). Four of Belluardo's six strikes have pushed the blue-and-gold to victory this season, while Pierantozzi and Valck have a pair of game-winners to their credit.  

Xander Balog has been the go-to-goalie as of late, starting the last five games in net for Suffolk. In nine games played this season, all starts, he holds a 0.78 GAA and .806 save percentage with a 5-2-2 record including five shutouts. 

GET TO KNOW THE GOLDEN BEARS
Western New England wrapped its regular-season at 6-6-4 overall and 5-1-2 versus CCC counterparts. As the CCC regular-season champion and tournament's top seed, the Golden Bears received a bye into the semifinals.  

WNE's offense has been limited to just 15 goals. Half a dozen Golden Bears have a pair of goals to their credit. Mike Milazzo paces the scoring unit with five points on two strikes and one helper. Brennan Johnson (2g), Shay O'Neill (1g, 2a), Hunter Perry (2g), Mike Riley (2g), Sam Riley (2g) and Matt Spruill (2g) all have four points to their credit.  

Braylon Casinghino has the most time under his belt in nit. In his 13 appearances, he built a 1.14 GAA and .800 save percentage. 

WE MEET AGAIN
Suffolk men's soccer was handed its first CCC loss of the season, a 2-1 setback to Western New England Tuesday afternoon at Supernant Field. The Golden Bears built a two-goal lead that the Rams could not climb out of.

MORE READING: Western New England Takes Down Men's Soccer, 2-1 

SUFFOLK SCORES

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Suffolk is 1-8-0 against Western New England since 2002. 
• The Rams have fallen in seven in a row versus the Golden Bears including this season's regular-season showdown, 2-1, Oct. 10. 
• The blue-and-gold last defeated WNE, Oct. 11, 2003, 1-0. 
• Five matchups between the Rams and the Golden Bears resulted in shutouts. Suffolk is 1-4 in those bouts. 
• Six contests have been decided by a one-goal margin. The Rams trail the Golden Bears in that category, 2-4. 
• Suffolk is 0-3-0 versus WNE under Bill Maddock's guidance. 
• The Rams and Golden Bears will tangle in the CCC tournament for the first time Tuesday, however, it is not the first postseason game between the pairs. Suffolk and WNE tangled in the 2003 GNAC Quarterfinals. The blue-and-gold was shutout by the Golden Bears, 4-0.  

EYES ON THE GAME 
 

WHAT'S NEXT?
The winner of Tuesday's semifinal tilt earns its spot in the CCC Championship set for Saturday, Nov. 4 against the victor of the battle between No. 6 Curry and No. 2 Roger Williams. The contest will be hosted by the highest remaining seed.