| Box Score 2 BRISTOL, R.I. – Keene State College claimed the RWU Opening Weekend Tournament over the Roger Williams University Men's Soccer team with 5-4 shootout win after a 1-1 double overtime tie. The Owls forced overtime with a game-tying goal with minutes left in regulation.
 
Clark University earned third place after defeating Newbury College 2-0 in the Consolation Game.
 
In the championship game, the game played at a frantic pace over the first 15 minutes of play, with both teams pushing the ball up and down the field. RWU's Sean Janson (Avon, Conn.) came close to posting a nice goal in the 16^th minute. He bent a free kick from 20 yards out around the wall and toward the left end of goal. However, Keene State's Jason Smith (Gales Ferry, Conn.) was able to secure the shot.
 
William Salta (Laconia, N.H.) had a similar chance in the 19^th minute. He sailed a free kick from 25 yards out on the left side over the wall and on target to the right corner. Hawk keeper Nick Nelson (Madison, Conn.) made a great save with a diving two-handed punch to avoid letting in the goal.
 
In the 35^th minute, both teams missed a chance to get on the board. Clinton Mungeta (Concord, N.H.) had a shot off of a corner kick from 15 feet out but booted it too high over the goal. Then on the ensuing goal kick, the Owl defense misplayed the ball off the bounce, allowing Hunter Graham (North Yarmouth, Maine) a path to the goal. However, with the wet ball and the wet surface, he was unable to get his footing and could not get a clean shot off before the keeper grabbed possession.
 
Roger Williams would break through in the 41^st minute with the first goal of the game. Nicholas Sanchez (Deerfield, Mass.) sent a pass to the right corner of the goal to Colby Decker (Colchester, Conn.), who fired a hard shot right at the keeper. Smith got his body in front of the ball, but the impact ricocheted the ball off of him and rolled into the net for the score.
 
Samuel Binogono (Manchester, N.H.) almost tied the game in the 79^th minute but was denied thanks to a heads-up defensive play. He gained possession on a long pass towards the left side and kicked a shot to the corner. However, RWU's John Ryan (Southbury, Conn.) jumped in front of the front and deflected the attempt away from the goal.
 
Keene State managed to get the equalizer in the closing minutes of the game. Conor Leahy (Beverly, Mass.) took advantage of a loose ball in the penalty area after a misplayed attempt to clear the ball. He was able to squeeze it past a diving RWU defender and tie the game with four minutes left in regulation. RWU's John McCarthy (Torrington, Conn.) almost won the game in the final minute, putting up a shot off of a corner kick. However it was just a bit too high as it bounced off the crossbar, eventually sending the game to overtime. Though both teams had close calls in the two extra periods, neither side managed to notch the golden goal. The contest would be sent to a shootout to crown a tournament champion.
 
In the shootout, both teams connected on their first three attempts before the fourth Hawk shot went over the goal. Keene State buried the next two attempts, with Brandon Castor (Southwick, Mass.) scoring the fifth and winning kick.
 
Edmund Geschickter (Brookline, Mass.) made seven saves in relief of Nelson. Jason Smith had two saves on the day.
 
In the consolation game, Newbury and Clark both struggled to get their offense going in the early part of the game, with only one shot taken in the first 15 minutes of play. Yet soon after, the Cougars began to find a tempo.
 
Clark's Jesse Aronson (Somerville, Mass.) sent a shot in the 17^th minute from the right side of the box that just sailed wide of the left corner of the goal. Clark would break through in the 27^th minute, when Jonathan Guilherme (Oxford, Conn.) found Jack Stark (Abington, Mass.) on the right side for the first goal of the game.
 
The Cougars continued to push the pace of the game and keep Newbury's defense on their heels. However, Nighthawk keeper Jarrod Smith (Lynn, Mass.) played strong defense to keep Clark's lead at only one after the first half of play. He tallied six first-half saves including a couple of point-blank stops.
 
Clark held on to its one-goal lead for most of the second half before adding one more in the 60^th minute. Guilherme tapped the ball to Patrick Clark (Plainville, Mass.), who launched a long crossing pass to Ethan Ziemba (Glen Gardner, N.J.). Ziemba headed the ball out of the air and into the left corner to make it 2-0 in favor of the Cougars.
 
In the second half, Clark continued to hold off the Newbury charge. The Nighthawks managed only three shots in the second half of play, while Clark had nine. Newbury was also held without a corner kick the entire game.
 
Connor Maguire (Dunstable, Mass.) needed only two saves for the shutout win, while Jarrod Smith had nine stops.