SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Senior
Mikel Penin's (Bergara, Basque Country/Ipintza Institutua/Spring Hill) 66th-minute go-ahead strike sent the Saint Michael's College men's soccer team past American International College, 2-1, during Northeast 10 Conference play on Wednesday evening at Abdow Field.
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The Purple Knights capped the regular season by nailing down the No. 6 seed in the upcoming NE10 Championship. They will head to No. 3 Franklin Pierce University on Saturday for a first-round contest at 7 p.m.
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RECORDS
- Saint Michael's (8-5-3, 4-3-2 NE10), AIC (3-9-4, 2-6-1 NE10)
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS
OPPONENT LEADERS
- First-year Oliver Nota, 1 goal
- Senior Javier Solá Martínez, 5 saves
GAME FACTS
- Smith tied Paul Barous '89 for eighth in program history in career wins (15) in his second year with the program. A three-year member of the squad, Barous is a member of the SMC Athletic Hall of Fame.
- Five of Penin's six career goals as a Purple Knight are game-winners.
- Wade Jean picked up his 99th win as Saint Michael's head coach.
- The Purple Knights earned their first victory at AIC since Oct. 16, 2010.
- The teams have now played 19 consecutive decisions that were decided by two goals or fewer.
- Saint Michael's held an 11-8 lead in shots, while AIC notched a 5-3 edge in corner kicks.
THE ACTION
- The Purple Knights went ahead in the 33rd minute, as Riby-Williams forced a giveaway in the AIC defensive end before slipping a through ball to Andrews, who finished from the right side of the box.
- Nota leveled the teams early in the 51st minute, sending a shot from the right sideline that drifted into the top corner of the far side of the net.
- Smith dove to bat away sophomore Pietro Botasso's header in the 56th minute for a stellar save on AIC's final shot on goal.
- In the 66th minute, Penin intercepted a back pass by a defender heading to Martínez and one-touched a shot inside the left netting with the netminder left defenseless.
NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME
- Saturday at Franklin Pierce University in NE10 Championship first round at 7 p.m.