Blue Devils Topped By Merrimack In 2025 Home Debut
Warriors Best CCSU, 2-0
First half goals in the minutes 37 and 42 were the difference in the match on Tuesday night, as the visiting Merrimack College Warriors spoiled the 2025 home opener for the Central Connecticut State University men's soccer team by a 2-0 score. Merrimack evens its season record at 2-2-0 with the victory; while the Blue Devils are now 0-3-0.
GAME INFORMATION | BOX SCORE
Score: Merrimack 2, CCSU 0
Records: CCSU (0-3-0, 0-0-0 NEC), Merrimack (2-2-0, 0-0-0 MAAC)
Location: CCSU Soccer Field |New Britain, CT
KEY MOMENTS
- CCSU's starting goalkeeper Grady Wilson made stops at the 4:22 and 5:32 marks to keep the visitors off the scoreboard in the early going.
- Santiago Marin Gutierrez put the Blue Devils' first shot on goal at the 10:23 mark after a try by Anthony Catanzaro went wide in the 8th minute.
- The game would stay scoreless due to three more saves by Wilson until the 36:36 mark when the Warriors' Herman Rugland slotted home a pass from Beniah Hanson.
- Merrimack doubled its lead just less than five minutes later when Keller Cassidy scored on a breakaway off a long pass from Salvatore Zani.
- Those two first half goals were the only tallies in the contest, as neither team could find the back of the net in the final 45 minutes of action.
NUMBER TO KNOW
6-Home matches in the month of September for the CCSU men's soccer team. The Blue Devils will not play away from New Britain for the remainder of the month.
NOTES
- Merrimack finished with a slim 11-10 advantage in shots on the night. In the opening half, the visitors outshot the hosts, 8-4; while in the second half, Central doubled the Warriors in shots by a 6-3 margin.
- The Blue Devils finished the night with a 6-2 advantage in corners kicks.
- After Grady Wilson made five saves in net the first half, Central's Cristian Torres kept the visitors off the scoreboard in the second half.
- Santiago Marin Gutierrez was outstanding all match long for CCSU, as he finished with a team-high five shots on the evening.
- Youssef Shafei was next on the Central shot chart with two.
- Jack Mancaniello made two saves in net for the Warriors to earn the clean sheet.
UP NEXT
- The Blue Devils continue their six-match homestand this Saturday, September 13 at 4:00 p.m., when CCSU hosts the Keydets of VMI.
Follow @CCSUBlueDevils on Twitter and CCSUBlueDevils.com for updates.
