Dean College Men's Soccer Team Falls 3-0 in Conference Matchup
FRANKLIN, MA- The Dean College Bulldogs hosted the Regis College Pride in an action-packed matchup on Wednesday afternoon ending in a 3-0 loss.
Dean picked up their fourth loss of the season after they were unable to get on the scoresheet in Wednesday afternoon's match against Regis College.
The first goal of the game came in just the 11th minute. Regis defender Juan Pablo Chavarria crossed a high ball from outside of the box into the box, which made contact with the head of midfielder Haroun Mafhoum, who beat Dean Goalkeeper Noah Amaral to the ball. The ball hit the back of the net and Mafhoum was credited with both the first goal of the game and his first of the season, celebrating by the corner flag.
The remainder of the first half was rather uneventful; no cards or other goals. Regis had more of the possession in their half of the field, but Dean had a couple of strong chances that looked promising to the chemistry in this team. The Bulldogs had 3 shots in the first half, 2 of which forced saves from Pride Goalkeeper Wylie Gardiner. The Pride had 7 shots in the first half, 2 of which Amaral saved.
"The opponents when attacking really enjoyed starting wide and either getting to the touchline and putting in service or cutting in for a shot," Amaral spoke on the play of the Regis attack. "They seemed to have a couple players who were their go to most dangerous guys."
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The score at halftime was 1-0 in favor of the Pride.
The second half started off rather quickly, with Regis regaining possession domination. Through the first 10 minutes, the Bulldogs could only find one strong chance while Regis seemed to have multiple. The second goal for the Pride came in the 53rd minute, after a strong run up the right flank by Midfielder Santy Pena Ganem. Ganem crossed a high ball into the box which found the head of Midfielder Cade Bretton, who guided the ball into the back of the net for his first of the season.
Following the goal, the Bulldogs did not let down. They held possession well and had multiple strong chances, utilizing the speed of Forward Jordan Ramsay. Ramsay had multiple runs, adding a competitive component to the second half for the Bulldogs.
"The team as a whole is trying to work on being more connected while attacking," Amaral spoke on what he sees in Dean's attack from net. "Tough matches like these are all about the adversity. We take each game and learn from our mistakes."
Regis scored a third in the 61st minute after another run up the right side of the pitch by Forward Nolan McMahon, who outran the Bulldogs back line. McMahon sent a low cross into the box that connected with Haroun Mafhoum and into the net for Mafhoum's second of the game. Mafhoum earned a brace and put the Pride up 3-0 over the Bulldogs.
The sole booking of the match was in the 58th minute where a yellow card was issued to Regis Midfielder Guillermo Infante. Infante attempted to dispossess Dean by the sideline but came in very fast and looked too rough for the referee.
The rest of the game played out competitively. Each team made strong runs and held possession a respectable amount of time. The Dean College attack did not back down, playing hard up until the final whistle, but were unfortunately unable to get past the strong Regis defense and Goalkeepers. Regis took 13 shots in the second half, 6 saves were credited to Dean. Dean took 7 shots in the second half, 4 were saved by Regis. Though outshot, the statistical improvement and relentlessness from the Bulldogs stood out in that second half.
When asked about what motivates him to keep going through tough games like this, Amaral answered with heart. "My family and hometown friends, as well as my team and coaching staff. There has been endless encouragement and support, and they are what keeps me going."
The Dean College Men’s Soccer Team will travel to Lasell University on Saturday, Sept. 19th with the game kicking off at 12PM. The Curry College Men’s Soccer Team will take on the Emmanuel College Saints at Regis Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 6th at 12PM.
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