The Suffolk University Men's Soccer team earned a 2-1 victory over the Johnson & Wales University Wildcats in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Saturday afternoon.
Freshman Alberto Benhamu (Caracas, Venezuela) scored what would turn out to be the game-winner in the game's thirty-first minute as Suffolk improves to 6-3 on the season with their third win of the week. The Rams also improve the record in GNAC play this season to 3-2. The loss drops the Wildcats to 4-3-1 and a 2-1 mark in league play.
Senior Ben Rollins (Lee, N.H.) scored the first goal of the contest ten minutes into the game with some great individual efforts as he rifled a shot from fifteen yards out from the left side of the goal. Rollins was led up field by a beautiful cross pass from sophomore Djibril Niang (Dakar, Senegal). After Rollins's initial drive was stopped short he worked the ball to the side of the field weaving his way through several Wildcats' defenders and then struck for his fifth goal of the year.
The Wildcats nearly answered a minute later with a flurry of shots that were stopped by Suffolk freshman goalkeeper Nicholas Chamma (Rio de Janerio), who also had some luck on his side as a shot by sophomore Ray Durski (Monroe, N.J.) hit the top crossbar.
At the thirty minute mark the Wildcats would get on the board though as Durski struck for his third goal of the season as he put in a rebound to even the game at a goal apiece. Sophomore O'Kyle Corriden (Selden, N.Y.) earned an assist on the goal as his intial shot to start the offensive exchange was stopped by Chamma.
It would take less than a minute however for the Rams to answer. After some chippy back and forth play, the Wildcats were flagged for a foul. On the free kick, Benhamu would fool the defense with a quick shift in the angle of his shot as he put in his third goal of the year, and first game-winner.
The Rams would hold strong through the remaining sixty-one minutes of play as Chamma finished the day making six saves.
Suffolk held the advantage on offense registering 20 shots in the contest, compared to the Wildcats' dozen.
Freshman Austin Scoggin (Matichuk, N.Y.) made ten saves in a losing effort for Johnson & Wales.
Both teams will be back in GNAC action later in the week. The Wildcats will host Emerson College on Tuesday afternoon at 4:30pm. Suffolk will travel to St. Joseph's College of Maine on Wednesday for a 3:30pm matchup with the Monks.