Box Score
BOSTON, Mass.—Sophomore Edmilson Barros' (Praia, Cape Verde) header goal at 107:54 in double overtime, lifted #1 UMass Boston men's soccer (13-5-2) to their first-ever Little East Conference Tournament Championship with a 2-1 victory over #3 Keene State (12-7-1) Saturday afternoon at the Clark Athletic Center Field.
Playing in their first-ever LEC Title Game against the team with more LEC titles than any other side, Barros rose above a crowd of players in the Keene State goal box and rammed home a Douglas Silveira (Revere, Mass.) corner kick to give the Beacons' their first-ever trip to the Division III Men's Soccer NCAA Tournament.
The Beacons will find out their first round opponent on Monday, during the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Selection Show on NCAA.com at 1:30 p.m.
Keene State closes out their season 12-7-1 under first-year head coach Rick Scott.
Silveira, the Beacons' only four-year player on the roster, earned Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament, after scoring a goal and recording an assist in the LEC Title Game.
With the victory, second-year head coach Jake Beverlin's squad not only earned their first ever title and first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament, but also set a new program-record with their 14th win of the season. The win also marked just the Beacons' second come-from-behind victory of the year and first since their second-game of the season against Thomas College on August 31.
Keene State found themselves leading 1-0 early on, thanks to a tremendous volley from the top of the box from Kaleb Lique-Naitove. at 10:58 of the first half.
Silveira answered right back for the Beacons, as the senior midfielder dribbled by two defenders and laced a shot home with his right foot to tie the game at 23:31.
Great chances would be few and far between from that point on, as the teams struggled to find their footing against the opposing team's strong backlines.
Junior goalie Alfonso Rosales (Revere, Mass.) only had to make three saves en route to his second playoff victory, but it was the junior's season-saving save against Cameron Rogers in the 82nd minute that gave his team life in the overtime session.
Keene senior Mike Ketterman matched Rosales with five saves of his own, including a full-extension save on Silveira at 93:53, on a shot that looked like it was destined to curl just inside the far post.
UMass Boston outshot the Owls 19-10 for the contest, including 5-0 between the two overtime sessions.
Despite the wide shot advantage, Keene State proved to be dangerous throughout the afternoon, thanks to the long-throw in capabilities of senior captain Brett Sullivan. Sullivan consistently put the ball deep into the box on throw-ins and Lique-Naitove's goal in the first half was a result of Sullivan's hard work. Sullivan was so on-point, that one of his long throw-ins found the back of the net, with the referees waiving off the goal-because no Keene State players made touch on it before it went in.
The Beacons dominated the first half, but found themselves trailing due to a fantastic shot from Lique-Naitove. The senior captain collected an attempted clear at the top of the box and sent a half volley with his first touch through traffic and into the net off for his second goal of the LEC Tournament at 10:58.
Silveira answered back for the Beacons at 23:31. After a Beacons' thrown in from the near side, Silveira picked up a loose ball three-yards outside of the box, took two chances and unleashed a right-footed bending shot past Ketterman to tie the game at 1-1.
After some great chances to close out the first half, UMass Boston found themselves on their heels in the second half, with Promise Kpee creating several great chances. Freshman center back Marcelo Cunha (Goiania Goias, Brazil) made the first key stop of the half, when he dove in front of a Kpee shot 10 yards out, to keep the score tied 1-1.
Rosales added a second key stop at 81:47, when he dove to his left and tipped away a header off the head of Rogers who towered over the Beacons' back line.
The Beacons appeared primed to win the title in the 94th minute, when Lenir Lima (Praia, Cape Verde) found Pedro Dasilva (Fogo, Cape Verde) at the top of the box and DaSilva slipped a shot past through for Silveira, whose shot that looked destined for the near post, was redirected by Ketterman.
UMass Boston finally put the game away in the 108th minute. Barros sent a shot from distance off a Keene State player that went over the goal line for a corner. Silveira sent a bending ball inside the six-yard box that Barros barely got his head on before Ketterman could clasp his hands over the ball, to send the Clark Athletic Center Field fans into a frenzy.
Barros raced towards the Beacons fan section and was mobbed by a sea of his teammates, classmates and friends and family as the Beacons celebrated their first-ever Little East Title.
