CASTLETON, V.T. - UMass Boston Men's Soccer improved to 5-1-1 in Little East Conference play, earning a comfortable 6-0 road victory over Vermont State University Castleton on Saturday afternoon.
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 6, Vermont State University Castleton 0
UMass Boston (11-3-2, 5-1-1 LEC)
Vermont State University Castleton (4-10-1, 1-4-1 LEC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The big day for the Beacons got rolling early. Just over 11 minutes into the game
Marron Acheampong found the back of the net for his first goal of the season. The 1-0 lead quickly became 2-0 when Annilson Depina scored the first goal of his campaign in the 23rd minute.
Looking to extend their first-half advantage, the Beacons turned to the reliable boot of
Gabriel Meireles. Tied for the LEC lead in goals scored, the Beacons' standout newcomer took sole possession of the crown when he knocked in his 12th score of the year.
After a quick rest at the break, Meireles needed less than six minutes in the second half to log goal number 13 for the year. Later in the half, he got generous, dishing out an assist to freshman goal-scorer
Rafael Gross. Meireles' sixth assist of the season moved him into a tie with Keene State's Declan Coughlin for the LEC lead.
The final tally of the day came from the boot of another talented freshman in
John Arruda. Courtesy of an assist from
Jaheim Perez, Arruda scored his sixth goal of the year, good for sixth most in the league.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Meireles leads or is tied for the LEC lead in goals (13), assists (6), and points (32)
- Rhode Island College's Jonathan Oliveira ranks second in points with 25
- The Beacons have five players with at least four goals, most in the conference
- Qasim El-Ashkar made four saves in goal to secure his third shutout of the season
- The team's six goals are their most in a game since their 6-1 victory over UMass Dartmouth on October 12, 2022
- In six all-time meetings between the two programs, UMass Boston has won five
WHO'S NEXT
The Beacons will play their final non-conference game of the season on Tuesday when they travel to Framingham State to take on the Rams at 4:30 PM.