BOSTON, Mass. (Oct. 3, 2026) — The UMass Boston Beacons (3-4-3, 2-0-1 LEC) claimed a gritty 1-0 victory over Western Connecticut State on Saturday afternoon from the James Cotter Field, riding eight saves from sophomore goalkeeper Janiya Morales Matier (North Easton, Mass.) and an early goal from Daniella Celotto (Prospect, Conn.) to secure the Pride Game win.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Celotto broke the deadlock in the seventh minute, finishing clinically on her lone shot of the afternoon off an assist from senior captain Cloe Kapetanakos (Weymouth, Mass.). The Beacons would need every bit of that early cushion, as Western Connecticut — entering the day at 4-2-5 overall — applied relentless pressure for the remainder of the contest, outshooting UMass Boston 17-8 and generating eight shots on goal to the Beacons' three.
Morales Matier was equal to every challenge. She made four saves in each half, finishing with eight stops on eight shots on goal faced across 90 minutes — the fourth-highest single-game save total of her 2026 season, behind outings of 10 saves against Emerson, 10 against Wellesley and nine against Babson. Her most critical stop came in the 84th minute, when she denied Shannon Anderson's bottom-center shot to preserve the clean sheet. The shutout was UMass Boston's second shutout win of 2026.
UMass Boston nearly doubled its advantage in the second half when Amanda Regan (Pepperell, Mass.) struck the right woodwork in the 64th minute, a moment that would have provided crucial breathing room. The Beacons instead held firm throughout a physical final stretch, committing 17 fouls and collecting four yellow cards — three in the second half — as they worked to disrupt WestConn's attacking rhythm.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
Sasha Wood (District of Columbia, Md.) tied for the team high with two shots and added one shot on goal in 56 minutes of play before Kapetanakos, who finished with two shots of her own in 88 minutes, helped set the tone offensively alongside her.
UP NEXT:
The Beacons travel to Gorham, Maine on Wednesday, Oct. 7 to face the University of Southern Maine at 6:30 p.m in Little East Conference action.
To stay up to date on all things UMass Boston Athletics, follow the Beacons on Instagram (@UMassBeacons), and X (UMassBostonAthletics), and read the latest stories and updates here at https://beaconsathletics.com
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