BIDDEFORD, Maine — The Roger Williams University men's soccer team earned a hard-fought 3-2 road victory over the University of New England on Saturday afternoon, securing another Conference of New England win. The Hawks improved to 11-1-5 overall and 5-0-4 in CNE play behind goals from Dylan Robbins (Johnston, R.I.), Louis Hawkins (Norwich, Conn.), and Shawn Middleton (West Hartford, Conn.).
Robbins Opens the Scoring
RWU struck first in the 13th minute when Dylan Robbins (Johnston, R.I.) found the back of the net at 12:33, finishing a pass from Cole Merriam (Haddam, Conn.) to give the Hawks a 1-0 advantage.
The Hawks maintained their lead for much of the opening half, but UNE found the equalizer at 41:10 when Harlan Lundgren scored off an assist from Ethan Berry, sending the teams into halftime tied at 1-1.
Hawkins and Middleton Deliver
The Hawks regained the lead early in the second half. At 50:33, Louis Hawkins (Norwich, Conn.) scored off an assist from Tyler Jastrab (Townsend, Mass.), putting RWU ahead 2-1.
RWU continued to press, and the effort paid off in the 67th minute. At 66:20, Shawn Middleton (West Hartford, Conn.) scored the eventual game-winning goal, converting a pass from Aidan Jennings (San Diego, Calif.) to extend the Hawks' lead to 3-1.
UNE pulled within one at 75:40 on a goal from Matthew Dewhurst, assisted by Berry, setting up a tense final stretch. The Hawks held on defensively through the closing minutes to preserve the 3-2 victory.
Hawks Continue Strong Conference Run
RWU finished with a 19-7 advantage in shots and an 11-4 edge in shots on goal. Goalkeeper Eliot Panaccione (Pepperell, Mass.) played all 90 minutes, recording two saves as the Hawks secured the victory.
The win moves RWU to 11-1-5 overall and 5-0-4 in Conference of New England play as the regular season nears its conclusion.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Hawks return to Bayside Field in Bristol, R.I., for their regular-season finale against Curry on Tuesday, October 27, at 4 p.m. The matchup will be RWU's final contest before the Conference of New England postseason begins on Saturday, October 31.
