October 22, 2011

Men's Soccer Gets Blanked By Eagles

Nashua – Senior forward Spencer Bernard (Windsor Locks, Conn.) netted two goals and Elliot Kilgore (Milford, N.H.) added another all within the final 35 minutes of play pacing host Daniel Webster past Becker, 3-0 in a New England Collegiate Conference men's soccer matchup Saturday at Eagle Field.

Bernard's two scores gave him seven on the season and moved him to within one of tying the all-time career program record for goals at 28. The record (29) is held by teammate and fellow senior Alex Jackson (Kent, Ohio), who added an assist, setting up Kilgore's score.

Winners of three straight and four of their last five, the Eagles (9-5-1, 5-1 NECC) also pulled into sole possession of second place in the league standings with two league games remaining, and to within a half-game of first place Southern Vermont (5-0-1 NECC), which tied Newbury earlier Saturday. Becker dropped to 3-13-2 overall (2-5 NECC).

Bernard broke the scoreless tie in the 55th minute sending a half-bicycle kick to the lower right corner from 10 yards out off a Joey Morgan (Windham, N.H.) pass from the right corner.

Bernard upped it to 2-0 with an empty netter just under 10 minutes later in the 64th. Rookie Lino Chaves' (Revere, Mass.) initial shot clanged off the left post and Bernard promptly popped in the rebound.

Kilgore would ice it with 5:34 to go, heading home a seeing-eye Jackson corner kick for the 3-0 final.

Becker saw a brilliant chance to cut the lead to 2-1 in the 82nd on an Aldo Karkanjozi (Sterling Heights, Mich.) free kick, which was rifled to the low left post but Eagle senior keeper Joe Keene (Bristol, N.H.) knocked the shot away with a diving stop to preserve his 12th career shutout and sixth of the season.

Keene finished with three saves while Tom Al Naber (Parkton, Md.) faced no shots in relief. Tim McDonald (Holden, Mass.) made seven stops for the Hawks.

DWC would finish with a 10-3 shots on goal advantage (15-8 overall).

Prior to the contest, the Eagles honored seven seniors as part of Senior Day activities. Honorees included Bernard, Jackson, Keene, Al Naber, Nicholas Klesh (Bedford, N.H.) Tim Amberman (Shrewsbury, Penn.), and Andrew Donovan (Milford, N.H.).

The Eagles visit Regis College on Wednesday in a NECC tilt beginning at 4:00 pm.

Becker hosts Eastern Connecticut on Tuesday, October 25th, at 6:00 p.m