#13 Eastern Conn. St. gets past Men’s Soccer

Box Score WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The Roger Williams University Men's Soccer team dropped a hard-fought game against the No. 13 nationally-ranked Eastern Connecticut State University, falling 2-1 to the Warriors.

Playing from behind for the first time this year, ECSU scored the tying goal late in the first half and first-year sophomore midfielder Andres Villar (Mansfield) came off the bench with 17 minutes left to make his first career goal a game-winning one in a 2-1 non-conference victory over Roger Williams University Sunday afternoon at Thomas Nevers Field.

Eastern (5-0-0) did not allow a goal through the first 402 minutes and 39 seconds of the season before sophomore Charie Mader (Scarborough, ME) gave Roger Williams (2-3-0) the lead in the 23rd minute when he finished off junior teammate Trevor Sparda's (Scarborough, ME) corner kick at the far post, marking the first goal allowed by freshman keeper Ryan Murphy (Cromwell) after 394 minutes and 38 seconds.

Sophomore midfielder JD Stearns (Bolton) tied the match less than 13 minutes later with his first career goal on assists from sophomore forward Xavier Doran (Hebron) and freshman forward Kevin Zeppieri (Waterford), the latter posting his first career point. Doran send a ball wide from the left side to the far post, where Zeppieri centered it into the box to Stearns.

Villar, who recorded his first career point with an assist in Saturday's 4-0 victory against Ramapo College beat Roger Williams sophomore keeper Nick Nelson (Madison) for the game-winner in the 74th minute on a shot from the left side set up by Doran. Villar caught up to a through-ball by Doran and beat Nelson at the near post with a low shot to send the Hawks to their third straight loss after two opening wins. Nelson was making his first career start and second career appearance, first this year.

Inside the final minute, RWU nearly tied the match, but senior Jesse DiPietro's (Woodbridge) header from the six-yard line sailed over the crossbar.

Eastern put 11 of its 19 shots on the Roger Williams net, with Nelson denying nine of them. The Hawks had 12 shots, Murphy stopping four.

For the second time in four years, Eastern has won its first five matches in a season. In 20012, the Warriors won their first ten and were unbeaten in their first 15 (14-0-1) en route to a record 17-2-1 record, Little East Conference title and NCAA tournament appearance.

Eastern visits Albertus Magnus College Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the first of three straight road matches before returning to Nevers Field Sept. 26 to host Western Connecticut State University in a Little East Conference match.

- Release courtesy of the Eastern Connecticut State University Sports Information Department

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Players Mentioned

#23 Jesse DiPietro: MF; 5' 11"; Senior

#1 Nick Nelson: GK; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#17 Trevor Sparda: MF; 6' 1"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#23 Jesse DiPietro
: 5' 11"; Senior
: MF

#1 Nick Nelson
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: GK

#17 Trevor Sparda
: 6' 1"; Junior
: MF

Players Mentioned

#23 Jesse DiPietro

#1 Nick Nelson

#17 Trevor Sparda

Players Mentioned

#23 Jesse DiPietro

#1 Nick Nelson

#17 Trevor Sparda