Men's Soccer Wins at Bryant in Season Finale, 3-2
Blue Devils score twice in the second half to win second straight.
The Central Connecticut men's soccer team closed out the 2015 season with a 3-2 win at Bryant on Sunday afternoon. The Blue Devils scored twice within two minutes in the second half to break a halftime tie and held off a late Bulldogs rally for the victory. The win improves CCSU to 6-9-2 on the year and 3-4 in the Northeast Conference. The loss dropped Bryant to 3-8-5 overall and 1-3-3 in the NEC.
Central got on the board first with a goal in the 28th minute. After drawing a penalty in the Bryant area, senior Zach Zurita stepped up to take the penalty kick for CCSU. Zurita beat the keeper for his fourth goal of the year to make it 1-0.
The Bulldogs leveled the score in the 34th minute when Jake Lamar bent a corner kick into the net to make it 1-1.
The Blue Devils retook the lead just after halftime. Sophomore Rodrigo Giraldo Salvador played a ball to freshman Louis Beddouri who dribbled down the left side and placed a shot inside the far post off the hand of the goalkeeper to make it 2-1 at the 46:05 mark.
CCSU doubled its lead in the 49th minute when senior Freddy Metellus dribbled to the end line and sent a cross into the middle of the box where junior Alexander Hastings met the ball and put home a sliding finish to make it 3-1.
The Bulldogs got a goal back in the 75th minute after Matt Guerriere sent a long cross into the box and found the head of Brett Larocque who headed home the goal to make it 3-2.
The Blue Devils finished with a 21-15 edge in shots and the Central defense managed to make the lead hold up as junior Nick Velleca finished with six saves in the win. Chris Knaub finished with four stops for Bryant.
With the win Central finishes the season in fifth place in the NEC standings. CCSU also claimed its second straight victory to close out the season on a win streak.
