The University of Southern Maine men’s soccer team defeated Colby- Sawyer 1-0 late in the second half of Thursday’s home game played in Gorham. Andy Budelman, a junior player scored the only goal of the game with seven minutes of play left in the game. The goal scored by Budelman was a header shot for his third goal of the season, assisted by junior Zach Rossignol who kicked the corner shot.
The men’s soccer team now holds a season record of 2-3-2. Colby – Sawyer dropped to a 3-5-0 overall.
The game was well matched up as both teams tallied eight shots on goal. USM held the advantage for corner kicks, with a 5-0 tally. The goalie for the Huskies, freshman Kane DiBenedetto had his first shut out for USM, ending the day with three saves on goal.
The Huskies, coached by Eric Miller, played a consistent defense allowing them to secure the win over the Colby -Sawyer Chargers. The match was a battle for the ball, and also for offensive possession. The two teams sprinted back and forth down the field frequently, due to competitive defense exemplified by both teams. The shots on goal were well executed, and the goaltenders played their team roles effectively.
“Thursday’s game was a game that we needed to win, said head coach Eric Miller. I have been asking the players to be patient. Goalie Kane DiBenedetto, defensive players Raheem Jammeh and Kelvin Colwell have really been stepping it up on defense. We have had lots of injuries, and guys are playing with these injuries. We are looking for a better year than previous years, a 500 season would be golden, better than 500 would be icing on the cake.”
The Huskies lost their first conference game for the season on September 20, against Western Connecticut.(5-1) Prior to this game, USM tied with the University of Maine at Farmington(1-1) in overtime, as well as closing their game against Worcester State(0-0) with a scoreless draw.
A few days before the Worcester game, they found themselves claiming their first win of the season at St. Joseph’s College in Standish. USM took the victory with a score of 3-1. The USM Huskies are on the road to a successful season, putting their only two losses of the season (first two games) behind them.
Joe Pierce can be contacted at [email protected]