BRISTOL, R.I. — Dylan Thomas (Norwalk, Conn.) scored in the 103rd minute to lift top-seeded Roger Williams University to a 1-0 double-overtime win over third-seeded Western New England University in the Conference of New England men's soccer championship Saturday at Bayside Field.
Playing in their fifth consecutive conference final, the Hawks (14-1-5) captured their second straight championship and third in five seasons, adding to titles in 2022 and 2025. Roger Williams extended its unbeaten streak to 17 matches. Western New England fell to 8-6-6.
Tyler Jastrab (Townsend, Mass.) assisted on Thomas' fourth goal of the season and led all players with four shots. Dylan Robbins (Johnston, R.I.) put all three of his attempts on target. Eliot Panaccione (Pepperell, Mass.) made two saves for his seventh individual shutout of the season and improved to 10-1-5 in goal.
Roger Williams outshot Western New England 17-8, including an 8-2 advantage in shots on goal, and earned 15 corners to the Golden Bears' two. Brendan L'Italien made seven saves for Western New England.
L'Italien stopped Kevin DeCapua (Old Saybrook, Conn.) in the fifth minute before Panaccione denied Ben Riley in the 18th. Robbins put a shot on goal in the 23rd minute, but L'Italien made the save to keep the match scoreless at halftime.
The Hawks took nine shots and earned 11 corners in the second half. L'Italien made five saves in the final seven minutes of regulation, denying Robbins and Jastrab twice apiece and turning away Louis Hawkins (Norwich, Conn.) to force overtime.
Panaccione kept the match scoreless with a save on Tyler Lewis in the 97th minute. The teams went to a second overtime, where Jastrab set up Thomas for the title-clinching goal at 102:47.
With the championship, Roger Williams earned the CNE's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Hawks will learn their opening-round opponent when the bracket is announced on Monday morning at 11:30 am.
