GORHAM, MAINE – Josh Baillargeon and Legen Mu’min each scored goals to lead the Westfield State University Owls to a 2-0 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in the second game of the USM Men’s Soccer Invitational Friday night at Hannaford Field.
Marking the first game under the lights at Hannaford Field, USM President Glenn Cummings, and Vice President for Enrollment Nancy Griffin were each on hand to welcome friends, fans and alumni in a ceremony prior to the game. With each team playing in its season opener, Westfield State starts 2018 at 1-0, while the Huskies are now 0-1. Southern Maine will face Coast Guard at 6 p.m. tomorrow in the final game of the tourney. Coast Guard fell 2-1 in overtime to Thomas College. Westfield and Thomas will face each other tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.
Despite outshooting Westfield 7-3 in the opening half, the Huskies trailed the Owls 1-0 after the first stanza. Bailargeon hit a driven ball from the right side past a diving attempt from Husky senior goalkeeper Charlie Mull (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) in the 14th minute. Baillargeon’s goal stood through the half. Southern Maine had a pair of scoring chances midway through the half, but were unable to come up with an equalizer. A solid attempt from senior Sheddy Agnonsalo (Lynn, Mass./Lynn Classical) was turned away by WSU goalkeeper Tyler Diotalevi in the 24th minute. Sophomore Abedom Gebreyesus (Lynn, Mass./Lynn English) narrowly missed on a goal in the 25th minute pinging his shot off of the cross bar.
The score remained unchanged through most of the second half, and with Southern Maine pressing late searching for the equalizer, Westfield State was able to counter for an insurance goal in the 89th minute. Mu’min hit a rocket to the far post off of an assist in the right corner from Ryan Morais for the Owls’ second goal. Mu’min’s tally was the final scoring bid in the game and WSU won 2-0.
Mull made three saves for the Huskies, allowing one goal in 75:33 of action. Senior Simon Hulbert (Bar Harbor, Maine/Mount Desert Island) played the final 14:27, allowing one goal. Diotalevi earned the shut out making a pair of saves. – Courtesy of Westfield State University Sports
