BOSTON, MA (October 18, 2024)—The UMass Boston men's soccer team will travel to Danbury, Connecticut, on Saturday, October 19^th, to take on Little East Conference rivals the Wolves of Western Connecticut State University at 1:00 p.m. in an LEC showdown.
Previously

• Historically, the Beacons are 13-18-6 vs the Wolves, with the most recent matchup resulting in a sour 1-0 defeat in the 2023 LEC Championship in Boston, Massachusetts. The Wolves knocked off the Beacons in the final game of the 2023 post-season, keeping them from winning back-to-back championships. In 2022, the Beacons defeated WestConn on penalty kicks 4-2 to win the 2022 LEC Championship in Boston. The Beacons' most recent victory against the Wolves came in the 2023 regular season when they won 2-1 on their home turf. On the road, the Beacons are 4-10-4 and average 1.26 goals per game against WestConn.

This Season

• This season, the Beacons are 6-1-4 (4-0-1 LEC), with five games remaining on the schedule. Their most significant wins came over Keene State (5-0), the University of Southern Maine (5-0), and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (3-1). Graduate Andy Ramirez (Waltham, Mass.) has taken the reigns between the posts, with senior JJ Devine (Halifax, Mass.) out with injury. Ramirez started in nine games, recorded 23 saves against 45 shots for a .793 save percentage, and has allowed six goals for a .87 goals-against average. Ramirez is 5-0-2 thus far. Offensively, the Beacons have been bolstered by a deep roster with multiple goal scorers finding twine more than once this year to keep opposing defenses guessing. Following Wednesday's 5-0 route over USM, sophomore forward Rafael Gross (Minas Gerais, Bra.) leads all goal scorers with four, as he has blossomed into a top option for the Beacons' attack. Gross scored each of his goals in the past three games. The Beacs have four athletes with three goals. Senior back Logan Erickson Potter (Swansea, Mass.) and first-year Eduardo Chirico (Minas Gerais, Bra.) have been jacks of all trades, registering three goals and three assists each. In the past three games, Chirico has recorded one goal and three assists . Senior forward Josh DeAlmeida (Revere, Mass.) and sophomore midfielder Patrick Garcia (Brookline, Mass.) have also tallied three goals this season.
• The Wolves are 11-3-2 (5-0 LEC) with four games remaining on the schedule. Their most significant wins came against Nichols College (5-0), Vermont State University Castleton (5-1), and Kean University (6-3). Their three losses came at the hands of Vassar College (5-1), Drew University (1-0), and Wesleyan University (3-1). In 12 games played and started, junior goalkeeper Zachary Benson (Milford, Conn.) has tallied 35 saves against 71 shots for a .854 save percentage and has allowed six goals in 800+ minutes of action for .65 goals against average. He currently stands as one of the top keepers in the LEC with an 8-0-1 record. Offensively, the Wolves' attack consists of a primary trio: junior forward Maximus Vigo, first-year midfielder Nicola Acocella, and junior midfielder Ian Mounts. Vigo leads all WestConn scorers with eight goals, his most recent against Eastern Connecticut State on October 16. Acocella and Mounts each trail Vigo with six goals apiece. Acocella scored most recently vs UMass Dartmouth on October 12. Mounts has been on a tear as of late, with four goals and one assist in his last three games.

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