Mustangs Vanquish Knights, 7-1 in Vermont

Randolph, VT – CMCC Men's Soccer improved to 3-0-1 on the year after scoring seven times on the road to beat Vermont State University-Randolph. The 7-1 victory is the team's highest offensive output of the season, with Daniel Semple scoring a hat trick, Matthew Greco bagging a brace, and Michael Quinn and Mitch Cameron each adding a goal.

The Mustangs got on the board just a few ticks past five minutes into the game. Yoan Thériault pinged a great pass over the top to put the defense under pressure. Matt Dangler attempted to clear the danger but hit the ball directly into his teammate Michael Murphy. It fell nicely at Semple's feet, with the forward gathering and sending a shot towards the net. It wasn't the most powerful effort, but goalkeeper Gabe Sokolnicki misjudged it, allowing the ball to sneak under his fingertips and in.

Matthew Greco made it 2-0 in the 14^th minute. Charlie Leclerc started the move with a pass out wide to winger Albie Fozard-Oakes. The freshman clipped in a cross and Greco beat his defender to the ball before planting a header into the bottom corner.

Central Maine's next goal came from the penalty spot, their first such tally of the season. Fozard-Oakes again provided a cross in, and Cameron took the ball down in the area before being tripped by defender Adolph Mbula. Semple stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, rolling his shot into the bottom right corner.

It was 4-0 before the break thanks to Michael Quinn's first collegiate goal with just nine seconds left in the half. Drew Hatala was the provider this time, launching an arcing cross into the box that appeared to be headed straight for the head of Cameron. However, the captain was just the decoy this time, dragging his defender out of the play and allowing the ball to bounce over his head to Quinn at the back post. The freshman from Manchester, England swung and missed on his first attempt at the volley, but recovered to toe-poke a shot into the top corner to spare his blushes.

The second half saw more of the same. Semple finished off his hat trick in the 49^th minute, knocking in a cross from Fozard-Oakes at point-blank range. Cameron then got on the scoresheet just past the hour mark, ghosting in at the front post to volley home yet another Fozard-Oakes assist.

Cameron had his brace denied when a headed goal was pulled back for offside, but Greco made it seven with his second of the match in the 72^nd minute with a full team effort. Angello Del Vechio Arias started the move from the right, slipping a pass to Quinn. He played a give-and-go in the box with Jacinto Mavinga only to see his shot saved. The rebound came down to Mavinga, with the freshman from Lewiston, ME chesting the ball over to Greco at the back post and the Canadian winger knocking it into the back of the net.

The Knights did get something to celebrate with a goal of their own just over a minute later. Mbula took a free kick from midfield, planting a pass onto the thigh of Henry Gibson in the box. He made a nice touch to get around Mitchell Maceda before guiding a left-footed shot past Cody Cleaveland to make it 7-1.

CMCC saw out the game from there, finishing with 22 shots and putting 14 on target. The hat trick gave Semple five goals in his last two matches while Fozard-Oakes finished with a trio of assists. The Mustangs now prepare for their home opener on Tuesday night, taking on the UMaine-Augusta Moose. Kick-off is slated for 6:00 pm on Spirit Day as part of women's and men's doubleheader.