Men's Soccer Blanks Becker on Senior Day

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College men's soccer team extended its winning streak to four games with a 7-0 victory over Becker College on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field.

Freshman Andris Vital scored a pair of goals to bookend the scoring for the Mariners, who improved to 7-5-1 overall and 4-0-0 in New England Collegiate Conference play. Junior Todd Zessin also scored twice while junior Andrew Nigro finished with a goal and an assist and sophomore Robert Pullan added two helpers.

Mitchell wasted little time as Vital got on the scoreboard in the fifth minute of play, scoring off a quick restart on a corner kick from Pullan. After the ball went over the end line by the corner flag, Pullan played Vital into space on the right side of the goal, and the unmarked rookie striker tucked a left-footed chip into the left corner of the goal.

Nigro was in the right spot at the right time to collect the second Mitchell goal in the 14th minute. A cross from the right side was fumbled by the Becker keeper and finished off by Nigro for his team-leading ninth goal of the season.

Sophomore Yianni Longinidis tallied in the 29th minute to put the Mariners up 3-0. The play began on the right side of the field as Nigro wove through the defense and found Jarron Walter on the left wing. Walter then crossed a ball into the box that Longinidis headed inside the near post for his third marker of the year.

Zessin scored the final two goals of the half to give Mitchell a 5-0 advantage heading into the break. The first came on a follow-up effort in which he cleaned up a loose rebound on a shot by Christian Tomaj in the 35th minute, and the second came on a header at the right post on a cross from TJ Condon in the 39th.

In the second half, freshman Andrew Storton and Vital scored within a 70-second span to increase the lead to 7-0. Storton finished off a free ball in front of the net in the 59th minute while Vital followed up a shot by Pullan for a tally in the 60th. Storton now has eight goals on the season while Vital has five.

Mitchell keepers Anthony Drake and Romer Ochoa split time in net to combine for the clean sheet. Ochoa played the entire second half and finished with one save while Drake was not tested. Becker goalies Benjamin Cadman and Matthew Castro also saw equal action and finished with five saves apiece.

Mitchell will next play at Newbury College on Tuesday, October 20 at 6 p.m. Becker (0-15-0 overall, 0-5-0 NECC) returns to action at Lesley University on Tuesday at 8 p.m.