Men’s Soccer Cruises Past Becker, 6-1

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College men's soccer team rolled past Becker 6-1 Wednesday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Lions improve to 3-5 on the season as they snap a four-match skid. The Hawks flutter to 1-7 overall with the loss.

The Lions tallied an early score as Scott Hansen (Middletown Springs, Vt.) buried his first goal of the season. William Campbell (Anchorage, Alaska) drove a low cross into the box for Hansen to head into the net from the top of the six-yard box. The assist was Campbell's second of the fall.

Campbell doubled the home team's lead to 2-0 in the ninth minute with his first collegiate marker. The rookie fired a low shot into the right corner of the cage from the left side of the penalty area.

Eastern Nazarene added its third goal of the first frame in the 18th minute. Edgar Arceo (Minden, Nev.) served a free kick into a crowd of players inside the box. Hansen elevated to nod home his second tally of the afternoon. Arceo picked up his team-leading fifth helper of the year on the score.

The Lions tacked on their fourth tally of the opening stanza with just under nine minutes remaining. Jared Corbin (Fallston, Md.) found Luis Lopez (Alexandria, Va.) unmarked in the penalty area with a long pass. Lopez settled the service before flicking the ball over the visitors' goalkeeper and into the net for his team-best fourth goal of the campaign.

Eastern Nazarene posted 15 shots in the first half while allowing just one. The Lions also held a slight 3-2 edge in corner kicks through 45 minutes of play.

Arceo notched his third goal of the season in the 74th minute to extend the hosts' advantage to five, 5-0. The junior latched onto a through-ball from Matt Nieto (Stanwood, Wash.) and slipped the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper.

In the 86th minute, Becker got on the board as Gary Johnson netted his third score of the year. Johnson poked a loose ball into an open net to narrow the Hawks' deficit to 5-1.

Eastern Nazarene restored its five-goal margin in the final minute of action. Hansen completed the hat trick with his third marker of the match and third of the season. Arceo served a curling ball into the penalty area for Hansen to redirect into the far side of the net to cap off the scoring.

The Lions finished the contest with 33 shots while Becker registered six attempts.

Jake Johnson (Mount Bethel, Pa.) made one save between the pipes before Jared Egeler (Danbury, Conn.) came on in relief action at halftime. Albert Tabor stopped nine shots in goal for the visitors on the day.

Up next, the Lions will resume conference play with a home contest September 22 against Endicott.