Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
MSOC
1
Winner John Carroll JCU (3-1-0, 0-0-0)
0
Westminster (PA) WES (0-3-1, 0-0-0)
Winner
John Carroll JCU
(3-1-0, 0-0-0)
1
Final
0
Westminster (PA) WES
(0-3-1, 0-0-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
John Carroll JCU 0 1 1
Westminster (PA) WES 0 0 0

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | JCUSID

Blue Streaks Take Down Titans with Late Second Half Goal

Andrew Massucci scores third consecutive game-winning goal to secure victory in New Wilmington

NEW WILMINGTON, PA – After a tough three-game stint at Don Shula Stadium, the John Carroll Blue Streaks would travel East to New Wilmington this afternoon for their first match away from home this campaign.

Coming off of two wins at home through the week, Wenzler's Warriors looked to cap off an undefeated week, turning their luck around from their season-opening loss against Edgewood University with a 3-0 win over Capital just two days later and a 1-0 win over Bethany College on Thursday.

Westminster were still on the prowl for their first win of the year after dropping their opener, followed up by a draw with Pitt-Greensburg and a loss to The College of Wooster on Thursday.

Historically, Westminster took home the only matchup between the two programs in an overtime win all the way back in 2006, looking to keep their spotless record.

Despite a valiant effort from the Titans, John Carroll ended up taking the win with a narrow 1-0 scoreline, with Andrew Massucci bagging his third goal in three games, all of which being the one to win the match.

The Blue Streaks came out and dominated the tempo of the match straight out of the gate, keeping a copious amount of pressure in their attacking third and pressing heavy with their front four. It only took five minutes for John Carroll to find their first major opportunity of the afternoon, with Garlen Woest pushing forward to play a wonderfully-weighted through ball to sophomore Dylan Halm, whose shot forced a massive reflex save out of the keeper Aaron Snyder.

Three minutes later, Halm pushed forward again with a stellar run into the box to drag a shot wide left. Now the Blue Streaks were really rolling. Halm had his third shot in five minutes with a strong run to the left hand side of the box, but tripping himself up in the closing moments.

Three minutes after that, a corner came at the back post from Rafa De La Barrera, the Blue Streaks getting a header but straight to the keeper Snyder.

Westminster got their first decent look in the 15th minute of play, whipping a cross in from the left hand flank and flying just out of reach for Santi Fernandez in the center of the box.

As John Carroll persisted, Westminster's back line did great to bend, but not break, staying composed and compact to combat John Carroll's growing confidence in progression.

In the 25th minute, Dylan Halm would orchestrate another attack on the left hand side, cutting back along the endline and getting it to Andrew Massucci inside of the six, who tried a shot off balance, sending it straight to the keeper again.

The following minutes saw the Titans begin to pick up some steam, getting some of their first prolonged minutes in their attacking third and causing the Blue Streaks defense some stress, but fortunately short-lived for the visitors.

John Carroll quickly turned the momentum back in their favor, getting some looks once again with some pandemonium for the Titans to eradicate.

In the 42nd minute, Dante Rajaie drew a foul for a free kick on the right hand side of the pitch. First-year Zalan Onodi sent in a beautiful ball at the backpost for Carter Adams, who redirected it to Noah Schmidt crashing in the middle and heading it into the back of the net. Unfortunately, Schmidt was flagged for offsides, and Westminster came out of the half unscathed.

Despite the even scoreline, the Blue Streaks were dominating the game—47% of possession in the first 45 minutes was in Westminster's defensive third, and John Carroll had 11 total shots with seven coming on target; the Titans yet to register a shot.

To their credit, though, the Titans were still playing a stellar game, breaking up offensive buildups without using a low block, and keeping John Carroll on their toes with some counter attacks.

The first 30 seconds of the second half had the Blue Streaks picking up right where they left off, as a quick rush towards goal saw efforts from Dylan Halm and Andrew Massucci get deflected, and Rafa De La Barrera would corral possession at the top of the 18 yard box and rip a high shot, forcing another big save out of Westminster's keeper.

With that, John Carroll's hunger in attack began to slightly dwindle as legs grew tired and momentum was thwarted. Dejan Mladenovic sent in a plethora of substitutions in the 63rd minute, boosting the energy and setting the tone for the Blue and Gold to finally strike.

As the 74th minute rolled around, a ball fell to Gui Wanderley at the top of the 18-yard box. Wanderley's swing at the ball saw minimal contact, but conveniently fell to Andrew Massucci unmarked in the penalty area. The Titans quickly closed the gap, but Massucci worked to circumnavigate a heap of Westminster players, tripping and catching himself, moving right, and slotting a low shot into the bottom left corner.

The John Carroll bench reached a level of ecstasy never seen before, and as the smoke cleared, JCU had a tangible lead on the scoresheet.

The rest of the match was tame, with John Carroll taking their foot off the gas in moving forward and Westminster still not finding a shot of their own. The only action Brenden Moher would get was flying through the air to grab a ball from a set piece in the 82nd minute.

The final whistle blew, and John Carroll could take a breath, finalizing a big win on the road, with Andrew Massucci being the match hero yet again.

"I could not be more proud of Andrew and his play thus far this season," remarked Head Coach Dejan Mladenovic. "He sets the tone for our program with his workrate, grit, and determination."

The Blue Streaks rise to 3-1, finally getting some proper rest after four matches in an eight day span. 

Their next match will be this coming Thursday back at Don Shula Stadium, reviving the OAC Cuyahoga Derby rivalry taking on Baldwin Wallace with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Print Friendly Version

Sponsors