Haverhill, MA (September 6, 2024) - On Thursday evening the Northern Essex Community College men's soccer team scored early and often to break into the win column for the first time in the 2024 season as they defeated University of Maine-Augusta by an 8-0 final and improved to 1-2 on the season. Christian Colem (Nashua, NH) made his debut for the Knights and recorded seven points behind three goals and an assist.
NECC controlled the play throughout the match as they outshot UMA by a 38-3 total for the game and goalie Will Paganini (Derry, NH) needed to make just one save to pick up the shutout and his first win of the season.
Nikos Kakavitsas (Athens, GR) got the scoring started in the games second minutes and he fired a shot from 25 yards out that snuck past the goalie and found left corner of the goal just beyond the outstretched keeper. Conor Fitzgerald (Danvers) picked up an assist on the goal.
Just nine minutes later Sam Lucena (Tyngsborough) delivered the first of two goals he sent a rebound into the upper right corner. In the 22nd minute, Lucena staked the Knights to a 4-0 lead when he headed in a corner off the far post and into the net off of a corner kick from Colem
Between the two Lucerna goals, Colem recorded the first of his three goals when he took a pass from Lucerna and sent it across the box and into the upper right corner. First half scoring concluded in the 35th minute when Redi Qesmi (Methuen) took a ball from the defender at the top of the box and snuck it past the goalies right side.
Colem, picked up the hattrick in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, in the 50th minute he caught the keeper coming off his line and lofted the ball from 30 yards out to find the net. In the 59th minute he recorded his third goal of the game with a laser into the upper left corner.
Derrick Pierre Paul (Lawrence) conclude the scoring in the 73rd minute when he took a long ball down the left side and sent it across the box to result in the final score.
The Knights will return to the field on Tuesday evening when they play host to New Hampshire Tech. Game time is set for 7:00pm at Whittier Tech High School in Haverhill.