Issue date: 10/16/06 Section: Sports

Something special is taking shape at UMass Boston right now that most of the community has yet to discover. The Men's soccer program, currently 9-4 on the season (2-2 in LEC) is en route to becoming a legitimate power in the Little East Conference. This diamond in the rough is a product of skill and harmony, but most importantly hard work and dedication.

Five different players scored for the Beacons on Saturday, October 7, as they defeated conference rivals UMass Dartmouth in a 5-1 route. Feeding off the momentum from a double overtime victory at Clark University, (ranked 20th in the nation) UMB dominated the ball scoring early and often.

Junior midfielder Maynor Sanchez opened the scoring barrage in the first half, when he collected a long cross from junior defender T. Kamkaew, and brought it all the way in from the right wing for a well placed shot into the left corner. The Beacons took a 2-0 lead when junior midfielder Guilherme Gonclaves' corner kick was blocked by the Dartmouth goalkeeper, but sophomore forward John DiPietro managed to redirect the ball back into the net. The relentless DiPietro now shares the team lead in scoring with 7 goals on the season.

Two minutes after DiPietro's goal Gonclaves took a cross from senior defender Mike Reda and sent a shot from ten yards out into the top right corner of the net to increase the lead to 3-0. Sophmore goalkeeper Paul Maniscalco who has played exceptionally this season and stopped seven shot on the day, would allow the only Dartmouth goal of the game only moments later, but the Beacons managed to maintain composure and finish the first half with authority on a goal by Reda who played give and go with sophomore midfielder Romeo Zeqo to penetrate the defense and score.

UMass scored their final goal of the afternoon early in the second half when Zeqo took a diving shot off a corner kick by Sanchez. Though scoring was abundant for the Beacons, it was dominance in the midfield and solid defense that were the hallmark of this game. Everyone has been stepping up their work ethic and intensity over the past few weeks. The team has also seen a new level play from the defense, including players like junior Anthony Cataldo, who has been a standout recently in a backfield already filled with experience and skill.

The Beacons are not a team of individuals; they are perhaps one of the most cohesive, hard working and skilled teams that many members of the athletic staff have seen in their years at UMass. A letter from the Athletics Communication Director Alan Wickstrom detailing these facts only served to further motivate the locker room before the big conference match on Saturday. For a team that had few believers when they began the season-they were ranked last in the conference in preseason polls-these last few victories have helped them make a strong statement and prove their detractors wrong.

Continued...

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