Elms College men’s soccer sets record in win over Wheelock

Date: 10/17/2014

CHICOPEE – The Elms College men’s soccer team had nine different players record goals in the program's largest victory, a 14-0 dismantling of visiting Wheelock College in a New England Collegiate Conference match at Leary Field on Oct. 11.

The Blazers wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as sophomore forward Safa Saady headed home a corner kick from junior midfielder Lorenzo Rolocut to post a 1-0 lead.

Elms junior defender Connor O’Grady took over the game early, registering a trio of goals in a mere minute and 25 seconds span, the fastest hat trick in program history, to extend the Blazers lead to 4-0 with 37:50 to play in the first half.

Rolocut netted an unassisted tally less than two minutes later to make it a 5-0 game.

In the 17th minute, senior midfielder Thomas Rivers recorded the first of his three goals as he dribbled into the box, beat a defender and fired a low strike to the right side of the net.

Rivers would strike again in the 35th minute on a dazzling sliding touch off a cross from freshman forward Jeff Danek of Ludlow.

In the final minutes of the half, Elms junior midfielder Ryan Harris chipped a ball to junior midfielder Patrick Goonan of Chicopee, who placed a shot into low inside post, to stake the Blazers to an 8-0 lead at the half.

Less than three minutes into the second stanza, Elms junior defender Richard Vanasse ripped a shot from the top of the box into the upper corner of the net, putting the Blazers up 9-0.

In the 51st minute, sophomore forward Tyrell Stewart of Springfield gathered a loose ball near midfield, raced through the Wildcats defense and tucked a shot to the far post, giving the Blazers their first double-digit scoring game of the season.

Rivers rounded out his hat trick in the 60th minute, followed by tallies from Danek, freshman midfielder Mike Dipasquale and Goonan, sending the Blazers to their largest victory in program history, besting the 13-0 drubbing of Wheelock in the 2011 season.

The Blazers dominated the shot column with one of the highest outputs in program history, 52-2, during the contest.

The Blazers goalkeeping duo of junior Christian Kostka and Harris posted a clean sheet, while Wheelock senior goalie Sunshine Shearer stopped a game-high 14 shots for the Wildcats.