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University of Massachusets Athletics
Minutemen Take Final Two Games in Canada
August 23, 2002 | Men's Soccer
Aug. 23, 2002
MONTREAL, Canada - The UMass men's soccer team took Wednesday's game with the Lakers Soccer Club, 6-1, before winning the finale on their five-game Canadian road trip, 2-1, over the University of Montreal on Thursday.
In Wednesday's game, the Minutemen wasted little time in taking control of the game. Dan Colwell's (Spencer, Mass.) goal with an assist by Yuri Morales (Santa Cruz, Calif.) gave UMass a 1-0 lead just 1:15 into the game. The Minutemen added to the lead at the 10:57 mark when Morales found the back of the net with an assist by Derek Rhodes (DePere, Wis.).
Martin Burwell (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Morales then scored goals at the 24:10 and 27:18 marks respectively for a 4-0 lead. Jeff Deren (Chicopee, Mass.) and Colwell assisted on the goals. The Minutemen took a 4-1 lead into the locker room and then added to it in the second half with goals by Tiago Moreira (Cambridge, Mass.) and Oral Bullen (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Ernie Billittier (Mundelein, Ill.) added an assist on Bullen's goal for the final margin.
UMass then took the finale on their five-game trip with a 2-1 win over the University of Montreal. Deren gave the Minutemen a 1-0 lead at the 27-minute mark with a goal on an assist by Rhodes.
Burwell then knocked in a rebound at the 43:15 mark for a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.
Montreal narrowed the gap to 2-1 at the 49:50 mark, but Dave Doucette (Middleton, Mass.) and Enzo Altomare (Derby, Conn.) made several big saves late in the game to preserve the lead.
"This was a great game for us," said UMass Head Coach Sam Koch. "It was a hard-fought, end-to-end game. It will do nothing but help us in the upcoming season.
"They had a lot of chances, but Altomare and Doucette both played very well and made several big saves," added Koch. "We are really looking forward to getting the season underway and our exhibition Sunday against Rutgers."
UMass will take on No. 7-ranked Rutgers in an exhibition game on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. at Chicopee's Szot Park, before opening the regular-season Aug. 30 in the Navy Tournament against Towson.