EAST BOSTON – In a back-and-forth match Suffolk men's soccer could not take advantage of late scoring opportunities, falling to Johnson & Wales 2-1 in a tightly contested match at James A. Sartori Stadium at East Boston Memorial Park Saturday afternoon. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 1, Johnson & Wales 2
RECORDS: Suffolk (2-7-1, 2-4-1 GNAC) | Johnson & Wales (6-3-2, 4-1-1 GNAC)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk wasted no time getting on the board as Jackson Hines sent a pass on a line through the heart of the Johnson & Wales defense to Gabriel Perez. Perez dodged two defenders and beat the Wildcats keeper to top left corner, tallying his second goal of the season three minutes into the match.  

The Wildcats responded 16 minutes as Rick Africo kneed a highflying ball into the 18-yard box to Nick Gutekunst. Gutekunst ran past three Suffolk defenders, gained control of the ball, and sent a rocket to the top left corner of the net, tying the game at 1-all.  

Neither team could gain the upper hand in the remaining minutes of the first frame. The Wildcats' Teagan Drake had a breakaway chance down the left sideline in the 27th minute, but sent a shot sailing over the top of the net.  

James Fisher had a prime opportunity for the Rams to take the lead in the 40th minute, however his shot from the baseline just missed the left post. 

The Rams and Wildcats continually traded opportunities early in the second half. Drake created another scoring chance for Johnson & Wales in the 54th minute and sent a great pass to Africo, who could not finish the job. Two minutes later Simon Velez Angel lobbed a stellar ball to Jordan Casey, but the senior's shot hit the post.  

In the 60th minute the Wildcats created havoc in Suffolk's defensive zone. Drake beat Suffolk's backine down the sideline and sent a rocket at the net. Gutekunst was lying in wait for the rebound, striking the ball on a line from the 25-yard line past Suffolk goalie Tom Bennett.  

Trailing 2-1 the Rams continued to apply pressure in the offensive zone but they could not get anything past Wildcats goalie Adam Cassidy in the final 30 minutes of play.  

With four minutes remaining in the match Hines had one last shot for the Rams as he booted a corner into the box to John Heeran. Heeran jumped up to head the ball, but his shot fell right into Cassidy's hands.  

KEEPING UP WITH THE KEEPERS

• Bennett turned aside five shots in the defeat. 
• JWU's Cassidy had six saves, including five in the second half.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• JWU had a 16-10 advantage in shots. 
• Each team had seven shots on target. 
• The Wildcats also held a 4-1 advantage in corners.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Perez is on a two-game point streak, scoring each of Suffolk's goals in the two-game week. 

POST-MATCH PIC
  

COMING UP
Suffolk ventures to Albertus Magnus Wednesday, Oct. 3.