Men’s Soccer Snaps Five-Match Skid, Blanks Mitchell 2-0

QUINCY, Mass.- Behind a pair of tallies by Scott Hansen (Middletown Spring, Vt.), the Eastern Nazarene men's soccer team collected a 2-0 non-league victory over Mitchell Wednesday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The win lifts the Lions to 2-9-0 overall and halts a five-game losing streak. The Mariners slip to 5-8-0 on the year with the result.

The home team grabbed an early lead, scoring in the 15th minute of the match. Hansen netted his first score on the day and fourth of the season to push Eastern Nazarene ahead 1-0. Hansen intercepted an errant pass to the Mitchell backline and dribbled in on goal on a breakaway before slotting home a shot inside the right post.

Hansen notched his second strike of the contest in the 28th minute to stretch Eastern Nazarene's advantage to 2-0. The junior blasted a one-time shot inside the penalty box past the Mariners' goalkeeper and into the net for his team-leading fifth score of the year. Rookie Jermaine Hibbert (Bridgeport, Conn.) picked up his first collegiate assist on the goal.

The Lions held an 8-4 lead in shots through the first half, including a 3-2 edge in shots on goal. Both squads rifled one shot off of the woodwork in the opening period. Mitchell earned all three corner kicks awarded in the first frame.

The two teams battled to a scoreless second half as Eastern Nazarene held on to prevail 2-0.

The Lions finished the match with 18 shots and 10 attempts on frame. The Mariners recorded 14 shots on the day with three aimed on target.

Aided by strong defensive efforts by Austin Boucher (Mansfield, Mass.), Jared Corbin (Fallston, Md.), Ian Carson (San Antonio, Texas) and Jonathan Stiles (Duxbury, Mass.), goalkeeper Jake Johnson (Mount Bethel, Pa.) registered his second shutout of the season for the Lions. Johnson stopped three shots between the pipes for the hosts.

Ramazan Sinani turned aside eight shots in goal for the visitors on the afternoon.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene returns to conference play with a road match at the University of New England October 12.