Rouette's Goal In Opening Minutes Lifts Men's Soccer To 1-0 MASCAC Triumph Over MCLA, Clinches Bye In Conference Tournament
MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME MEN’S SOCCER
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Clean Harbors Stadium, Buzzards Bay, Mass.
FINAL: MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 1, MCLA 0
BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. -- Freshman Michael Rouette’s (Three Rivers, Mass.) goal in the sixth minute of play held up as the game-winner and lifted Massachusetts Maritime to a 1-0 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference men’s soccer victory over MCLA Saturday afternoon at Clean Harbors Stadium.
With the win, the host Buccaneers (7-7-2, 4-2-1 MASCAC) clinched second place in the final league regular season standings and earned a bye into the conference semifinals next Friday evening, as Massachusetts Maritime will take on the winner of Tuesday night’s quarterfinal round match between third-seeded Fitchburg State and sixth-seeded Westfield State at Clean Harbors Stadium on November 7th beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Rouette deflected in a corner kick from senior Rob Robbs (Braintree, Mass.) for his second tally of the season on the golden goal for the Buccaneers, and sophomore Joe Cohen (Plymouth, Mass.) made that stand up in net for the hosts, as he made six saves, including a point-blank stop with just over 15 minutes remaining in the contest, to earn his seventh win and seventh shutout of the season in windy and rainy conditions. Senior Matt Robinson (Petersham, Mass.) made a pair of saves in the setback for the visiting Trailblazers (6-7-3, 2-2-3 MASCAC), who clinched the fifth seed in next week’s MASCAC tournament and will travel to fourth-seeded Framingham State for a quarterfinal round match on Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. The winner of that contest will travel to top-seeded Bridgewater State for next Friday’s other MASCAC semifinal beginning at 7:00 p.m., and the two semifinal winners will play for the league tournament crown on Sunday, November 9th at the home of the highest remaining seed.
Massachusetts Maritime clinched its first runner-up regular season finish in conference play since 2004, as the Buccaneers’ four league wins also mark their highest total since that campaign.
