Van Ness Scores First Career Goal in Buccaneer Route of AMCATS

Van Ness Scores First Career Goal in Buccaneer Route of AMCATS

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass – Monday evening, the Buccaneer men's soccer team closed out their 2018 home schedule with a match against Anna Maria College at Clean Harbors Stadium. The Bucs allowed a goal late in the second half but were all over the AMCATS for the full 90 minutes winning the game 7-1. It was only fitting that the game, and the home slate for the Bucs, was capped off by a 90th minute goal by senior Nick Van Ness (Waldwick, N.J.), the first of his four year Maritime career.

The Buccaneers had multi-goal outings by Andrew Wayrynen (Rockport, Mass) and Benjamin Cook (Fort Myers, Fla) who each scored two in the game. Wayrynen and Cook each recorded an assist for Maritime as well. Senior Zach O'Neil (Scituate, Mass), junior Stephen Froio (Auburn, Mass) and Van Ness were the other goal scorers in the game. O'Neil also added an assist in his final home game. Senior Brendan Gawron (Braintree, Mass) also made his way on to the scoresheet assisting on a goal. Senior goalie, Connor Murphy (Mashpee, Mass) started his eighth consecutive game for the Bucs making one save on the only shot he faces and earned the win. Murphy was relieved at half time by Kevin Lynch (Dedham, Mass) and allowed the lone Anna Maria goal. Lynch was then relieved by Mitch Hardy (Pepperell, Mass) and freshman, John Murphy (Braintree, Mass) finished the game in goal for the Buccaneers.

For the AMCATS, sophomore Christian Peguri (Litchfield, N.H.) scored the AMC goal in the second half after a shot on goal by Tanaka Mararike (Paxton, Mass) that rebounded to Peguri's right peg for and easy put back. In goal, John Goncalves (Edgartown, Mass) faces 22 shots, saved 15 of them and allowed the seven Buccaneer goals.

It took a while for the Buccaneers to score their first goal but, O'Neil did just that in the 16th minute on a pass from Gawron. Wayrynen opened the lead to two goals in the 37th minute on an unassisted attack. Wayrynen would then assist on Froio's goal at the 42 minute mark of the first half to give the Bucs a 3-0 lead going in to the half.

Seven minutes in to the second half, Cook scored his goal, unassisted, as he streaked by the AMCAT defense and squeaked a shot in to the back of the net that went off the fingertips of Goncalves. Wayrynen added his second goal in the 78 the minute to give Maritime a 5-0 lead. Almost eight minutes after Wayrynen's second, the AMCATS erased the Buccaneer's clean sheet when Mararike got tangled up with Lynch on the end line and the ball popped out of the grasp of Lynch, right to the foot of Peguri who scored the sitter to cut the Academy's lead to 5-1. The Buccaneers weren't done yet as Cook scored his second on a pass from O'Neill in the 88th minute. Twenty seconds later, following a free kick that he put through the football uprights giving an "It's good" signal with his hands, Van Ness got a pass from Cook just inside the 18 yard box that he rolled past Goncalves to score the Buccaneer's seventh goal of the night, Van Ness' first goal of his Buccaneer career and the final home goal of the 2018 Maritime season. The clock hit triple zeros and the Buccaneers walked off the Clean Harbors Stadium Field with a 7-1 victory over Anna Maria.

With the win, the Bucs improve to 5-10-1 on the season. The AMCATS fall to 2-14-1 on the year.

The AMCATS close out their 2018 campaign on Saturday evening at Worcester State. Kickoff is set for 6pm.