BY STEVEN SOUSA //

The Curry men’s soccer team extended their winning streak after earning their first Commonwealth Coast Conference win over Salve Regina University Saturday afternoon in Milton.

Both teams headed into the game on a three-game win-streak, scoring a combined 26 goals over that span.  Despite the fireworks in those previous games, this game did not display nearly as many explosions.

Both defenses came out solid to start the game and the halftime score showed a scoreless tie. Sophomore defenseman Mitchell Forbes had a lot to do with the Colonels’ defensive performance.

The Boxford, Mass. native had a stellar game, especially in that opening half when he was able to clear the ball in multiple one-on-one battles on his side of the field.

In the final 45, all the Colonels needed was a single goal to separate themselves from the Seahawks. A little over 15 minutes into it, an opportunity presented itself.

Junior midfielder Christian Mancini lined up for a corner kick and directed it only where senior Ben Silvia could get it in the box. Silvia guided the ball with his head into the back of the net to take a 1-0 advantage in the 57th minute.

However, about 15 minutes after that, senior Jared Warren found an opportunity to find some twine for Salve. Junior John Julian sent a through ball and Warren lifted it over sophomore goalkeeper Paul DeMaio’s head for the equalizer in the 72nd minute.

Senior Ben Silvia stares down Junior Michael Payan before converting on the penalty shot.// PHOTO BY STEVEN SOUSA ’19

Curry wasted no time formulating a response though, and it was again due to the play of Silvia. Hailing from Dartmouth, Mass. the co-captain drew a foul and was awarded a penalty shot just 1:33 after the Seahawks tied it.

Silvia beat Salve’s keeper, junior Michael Payan, and took back the lead for the Colonels with just over 17 minutes to play.

It was once again up to the Curry defense to close out the game and they were able to do just that to earn the first CCC win of the season.

The one-goal performance left Colonels’ Head Coach Peter Mendel pleased with his entire defensive unit.

“They worked for each other, they covered each other, and they did a heck of a job defensively shutting down a team that’s put away a lot of goals,” said Mendel.  “From a whole effort standpoint, the back four and the goalkeeper played great.”

Mendel elaborated that today’s offensive performance, on the other hand, was a credit to the work Silvia has put in over the years.

“Ben’s had a couple injuries here and there but he’s kept the faith, he’s stayed focused,” Mendel noted. “He’s done what we’ve asked him to do and now he’s seeing what happens if you’re patient.”

The Purple and White now sit at 4-1-1 overall and move to the top half of the CCC, joining the rest of the teams opening conference play with a victory.  These Colonels are trying to prove that this year is different, a sentiment Silvia explained after the game.

“I think it has definitely changed from last year and the year prior when we were fighting a lot,” Silvia said. “This time I feel like we are all on the same page, we all work really well together. Our coaches have been pushing us to stay together and I think we’re actually a team this year, we’re getting the results that we want.”

They will look to continue that trend Monday evening, as they will hit the road to Chicopee, Mass. to face Elms College in a non-conference showdown kicking off at 6 p.m.

The host Blazers will be looking for their first win, after starting the 2017 campaign on a 0-5 note.