Greg Fitzpatrick
Staff Writer
As the fall foliage arrived at Springfield College and parents weekend was underway, there was a men’s soccer game to be played at Brock-Affleck field.
The Springfield College Men’s Soccer team hosted the Emerson Lions in a NEWMAC conference matchup. There was no even matchup involved in this contest as the Pride devastated the Lions 6-0 to get to 1-1 in NEWMAC play.
The domination was led by two seniors known for always serving as immediate threats every time they step onto the pitch. Senior defender Ryan Malone (two goals, assist), and captain Drew Sommer (goal, two assists) put on exemplary performances in the match
Undoubtedly leading this year’s squad, Sommer and Malone are crucial for the Pride’s success. “Those two play a vital part and can play any position on the field,” Head Coach Steffan Siebert said.
Knowing the importance of conference play, the Pride were aware that the win was crucial for them moving forward.
“We needed it, but it was a great team performance. It was just a great effort,” Sommer said. “We simply played our game and did everything we’ve been doing the entire season. We knew our tactics and exactly what we had to do to get the 3 points and we were able to do so. All the guys played great and hopefully we can take the momentum into our next conference game.”
Not only were the Pride aggressive, but their smart style of play kept Emerson (1-4-3) on their toes all game.
“We want to possess the ball in the other opponents’ half, play around and have fun out there,” Siebert said.
Malone got the Pride on the board after ripping a shot right in the middle of the goalie box. Freshmen defender Christian Steidle teamed up with Sommer for the assist. Malone also showed his vision downfield late in the first half, as he crossed a beautiful ball that deflected off of Joe Labella and was eventually headed by Connor Archambault to put the lead at 2-0.
The Pride looked sharp defensively, as Emerson didn’t have their first official shot on goal until late in the first half by forward Adam Halliday. But it was the second half where the Pride exploded on the offensive end.
The half was a time for Springfield to readjust and see how they could open up the game even more. “At halftime, the worry was how are they going to come out and how are we going to match that,” Siebert said.
Springfield exceeded Siebert’s expectations, scoring four goals in the second half. Sophomore forward Luke Alvaro produced the third goal of the contest. Taylor Gilfoy found an opening down the field and sent a good pass to Alvaro to earn the assist.
Adding to the rout, Matt Dickmann added the fourth goal with Sommer earning his second assist of the night. The two remaining goals were scored by Sommer and Malone respectively.
Having the last score of the game, Malone took a shot from the right side of the field that bent just to the left of the Emerson goalie.
Now facing three non-conference opponents on the road in cross-town rival WNEU, Johnson and Wales University, and Clark University, the Emerson victory was much needed. “This has given us good momentum going into next week,” Malone said.
Greg Fitzpatrick can be reached at gfitzpatrick@springfieldcollege.edu