Boston, MA --- WPI was edged 1-0 by Emerson in NEWMAC men's soccer action Wednesday night at Rotch Field. The Lions scored just 2:49 into the contest and made the early goal stand for the remainder of the match.
The Crimson and Gray move to 2-8-5 overall and 2-3-2 in conference play, while Emerson improves to 8-5-4 overall and 1-3-3 in NEWMAC action. Entering the final day of the NEWMAC regular season, WPI sits in fifth place in the nine-team conference, three points behind fourth-place Coast Guard. However, with just three points separating fifth and ninth place, the Engineers remain in a tightly contested race for the six spots in next week's NEWMAC Tournament.
Jack Wasserman (Atlanta, GA) supplied the contest's lone tally just 2:49 into the match. On a second chance following a corner kick,
Carlo Carson (Brooklyn, NY) delivered a short cross from the right side, and Wasserman headed home at the far post for his first goal of the season.
Anir AitDowd (Harvard, MA) registered WPI's first shot at 5:13, while goalkeeper
Savio Ketnouvong (Worcester, MA) turned aside
Daniel Santiago (Tolland, CT) at 20:24 to keep the deficit at one.
Matthew Murray (Sandwich, MA) sent a shot over the net late in the opening half as Emerson carried a 1-0 advantage into the break.
The Engineers earned both of their corner kicks after intermission and tested Emerson goalkeeper
Asa Roberts (Guilford, CT) twice in a 16-second span late in regulation. Roberts denied
Nikolas Previte (Andover, MA) at 86:39 before stopping AitDowd at 86:55 to preserve the lead. Emerson's
Thomas Pelino (San Jose, CA) struck the right post with five seconds remaining, and the Lions closed out the one-goal decision.
Emerson finished with an 11-4 advantage in shots and an 8-2 edge in corner kicks, while each side put two attempts on target. AitDowd paced WPI with two shots, including one on goal, while Previte and Murray contributed one attempt apiece. Pelino led the Lions with three shots.
Ketnouvong recorded one save in 90 minutes for the Engineers. Roberts made both of his saves in the second half to secure the shutout.
Both teams conclude their regular-season schedules with NEWMAC road contests on Saturday. WPI travels to Salve Regina for a 6pm kickoff in Newport, RI, while Emerson visits MIT for a 4:30pm start in Cambridge, MA.
