Box Score DANBURY, CT – Western Connecticut State University opened the game scored a pair of first-half goals, holding on for a 3-1 win over Vassar College in the 2021 season opener for both teams.

It was a back-and-forth narrative to open the contest, but Western Connecticut took advantage first. Following a wide header off a corner attempt, the Colonials re-gained possession at the midfield as rookie defender Daniel Russo carried the ball up the far side, sending a cross into the middle from 12-yards out. Senior forward Ricardo Rodriguez was there, corralling the ball as he cut left away from a Vassar defender and Brewers goalie Eric Wnorowski for the score into the corner in the 14th minute.

Despite a yellow card in the 19th minute, the Colonials were still able to add to their score as sophomore forward Franz Muhaj notched his first of the season. Classmate Kent Eannarino earned the assist on the play, collecting the ball at the midfield mark. He turned, firing the ball untouched up the field as Muhaj raced past the Vassar defenders. Banking it off-centered on his right foot, Muhaj's shot sailed past the diving Vassar keeper and into the left corner in the 33rd minute.

In the second half as the weather began to turn with torrential rain, the Brewers attempted to answer on the scoreboard, beginning in the 50th minute. Sophomore midfielder Immanuel Clement-Sealey got a handle on the ball on the near side, sending it into the middle to junior forward Kyle Lopes. Despite a diving kick, Lopes got tangled with a defender as the ball went out of play. The Brewers earned the ensuing corner kick, but it careened off several header attempts and into the Colonials possession.  

Twelve minutes later saw Wnorowski defend the Brewers net brilliantly as Rodriguez fired in a perfect corner kick into the middle. Junior midfielder Lucas Araujo was there with the quick header, which Wnorowski nabbed point blank in front.

Despite that momentum, Vassar was unable to hold off the homestanding Colonials as senior midfielder Matthew Restrepo converted less than a minute after the save. Rodriguez started the play, gathering the ball on the nearside midfield before firing it to the far right and the foot of freshman middie Kadin Talho. Turning, Talho shot as Wnorowski made the save, but as both players collided into the keeper, the ball came loose to Restrepo, who buried it into the left corner for the 3-0 advantage.

The Brewers got in a couple of solid attempts in the 72nd minute as a free kick from senior Andrew Goldsmith from 35 yards out sailed into traffic in front. The Vassar players were unable to get a head on it as a Colonials player accidentally redirected it on goal where it was quickly covered by Western Connecticut goalie Daniel Szabo.

Seconds later off a corner kick from sophomore forward Teddy Borgos, senior defender Garrett Lusk nearly got the Brewers on the board, but his shot ended up going just right of the net.

With just over nine minutes remaining in the contest, the Brewers finally converted on the first career goal by freshman midfielder Derek Sando. A Colonials foul set up a free kick for Vassar from nine-yards out. As senior midfielder Eamon Geraghty stepped up for the kick, he doubled back as Sando stepped up and buried a shot around the defender wall into the left corner of the goal.

The Brewers continued to press in the closing minutes of the contest, including an off-balance shot from Geraghty from close range, but Szabo and the Colonials defense proved too much down the stretch.

Vassar returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Mount Saint Mary's College in a 3pm start on Gordon Field.  Western Connecticut is also in action on Saturday, traveling to MCLA for a 2pm game in the MCLA Tournament.