Men’s Soccer Drops High-Scoring Affair to Suffolk, 5-3

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College men's soccer team fell to Suffolk 5-3 Wednesday afternoon in non-league action at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The loss pushes the Lions to 4-4-0 on the year while the Rams improve to 2-5-0 overall with the result.

Eastern Nazarene tallied the game's opening score in the 12th minute. Salvatore Cuneo (Birmingham, Ala.) tapped in his second goal of the season to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. Scott Hansen (Middletown Springs, Vt.) slotted a pass by the Suffolk goalkeeper and across the face of the goal to setup Cuneo with an open net.

Suffolk tied the match at 1-1 in the 19th minute. Juan Lazacano Bello scored his first goal of the season as he blasted a right-footed shot inside the left post from beyond the penalty area.

The Rams gained a one-goal edge in the 21st minute as Alberto Bittan lifted the ball over the Lions' goalkeeper before volleying a shot into the back of the net for his second of the year.

The visitors tacked on a goal in the 41st minute to stretch their lead to 3-1 on Juan Lazacano Bello's second marker of the game.

Eastern Nazarene attempted nine shots in the first half while Suffolk generated 13 shots.

The Rams added an insurance tally in the 58th minute as Bittan netted his second score of the match to push the margin to 4-1.

The guests widened the gap to 5-1 in the 60th minute as Abdul Gaid headed in his first goal of the season.

The Lions pulled a goal back in the 76th minute as Austin Boucher (Mansfield, Mass.) floated a shot over the Rams' goalkeeper and into the back of the cage from the right sideline. Pacifique Jabiro (Portland, Maine) picked up his second assist of the fall on Boucher's first tally of the year.

Eastern Nazarene cut the deficit to two scores in the 78th minute as Hansen nodded home a lofted ball off the foot of Erick Pinaud (Norwalk, Conn.).

The hosts finished the contest with 18 shots while Suffolk posted 20 shots in the match. The Lions held a 3-1 edge in corner kicks earned on the day.

Jake Johnson (Mount Bethel, Pa.) stopped six shots in goal for Eastern Nazarene.

On the opposite end of the field, Nicholas Chamma made three saves in net for the Rams while Ianis Teixeira was credited with no saves in under 12 minutes of relief action.

Looking ahead, Eastern Nazarene returns to the pitch September 27 to host the University of New England in a key Commonwealth Coast Conference matchup.