Men’s soccer takes early control in win over Lesley
By Andrew Louis
Staff Writer
The Framingham State Rams took control early and finished the job late, with a 3-1 non-conference win over Lesley Oct. 21.
The Rams currently hold a two-game win streak, placing them second in the MASCAC. This grew their overall record to 5-7-1, and their conference record to 3-1-1.
It didn’t take long for the Rams to make their presence felt in the first half. At the 11-minute mark, sophomore Tanner Lockwood set up his third assist to junior Yuji DaSilva to score his third goal of the season.
The Rams didn’t let up on that momentum-building shot. Eight minutes later, senior Landon Medeiros set up an assist for junior Michael Jokic for his first goal of the season. This would increase the Rams' lead to 2-0.
Tensions rose between the two teams in the first half. Both teams were called for eight fouls, totaling 16. Both teams played with a chip on their shoulder on both sides of the ball, offense and defense. Neither team wanted to let up.
With the fouling going back and forth, Captain Kaio Santos Da Silva wanted it to be known that keeping composure was a key factor in this win. Wearing the captain’s armband also helped set the expectation, but wasn’t the only contributor.
“Being a captain helps, but it starts with the coach telling us to stay composed and focus on the end goal,” he said.
Lesley’s own Wassim Chaib was able to spot a vulnerability in the Rams’ strong defense. He immediately took advantage of it, finding Adrian Esparragoza to score their first and only goal of the game at 43:22, bringing the score to 2-1 Rams.
The half ended just under 2 minutes later with the score still the same.
With this deficit entering the second half, the Lynx came out trying to score to build momentum.
The Rams’ defense wasn’t letting up. Tensions were at a game high, with Lesley not being able to break the Rams’ defense.
The Lynx got called for a total of 13 fouls in just the second half, as well as two yellow cards, as they tried everything, and nothing seemed to be working for them.
When asked about the ongoing fouls, Santos Da Silva said, “Just staying composed and just worrying about the game was enough for us to not get distracted and just focus on the end goal, which was to win the game.”
The Lynx tried to do anything in their power to stay in the game, but nothing seemed to work.
They were taking a handful of shots, but nothing seemed to go in their favor, missing six shots, with four of the six blocked by the Rams.
The Framingham State Rams were given a penalty kick at 72:57. Senior Jack Holt stepped to the line, draining his fourth goal of the season, sealing any hopes of a comeback for the Lynx.
With the game coming to an end and the Lynx having little to no hope of winning, they tried to score a goal at 88:84. Junior goalie Michael Walker blocked the shot, sealing the Rams’ 3-1 victory over the Lynx.
A win like this pushes the Rams’ momentum in the right direction. Junior Walbee Pierre said, “This game added to our momentum. We will be heading into Saturday with a two-game win streak against a strong opponent in Mass. Maritime.”
The Rams are playing each game with the goal of reaching the playoffs. According to Pierre, “This is a big game for us, as a win solidifies our place in the playoffs and clinches a second seed in the conference, which would automatically have us play a semifinal game at home!”
The mindset of the Rams isn’t just to win a few games. They want to win it all, and Saturday, they are given the chance to do so. Pierre said this win adds “fuel to the fire and helps boost the confidence and morale of the team.”
The Rams will be heading to Mass. Maritime on Oct. 24 to seal their number two in-conference ranking.
