Oct. 17, 2008

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. - The St. Bonaventure men's soccer team dropped the fourth game of its current six-game homestand on Friday afternoon as it fell to UMass, 4-1, in an Atlantic 10 clash at McGraw-Jennings Field.

The Minutemen scored three unanswered goals to jump out to a commanding lead and never looked back as they snapped a seven-game winless steak to even their conference mark at 1-1. The loss drops the Bonnies to 0-2-1 in the A-10 and 2-4-4 through 10 games.

"I thought we played well in the first 25 minutes of the match. We had the run of play and chances came as a result, but the finish wasn't there," said head coach Mel Mahler. "The goal toward the end of the first half was just tough luck and one of those plays you shake your head at."

After an evenly played opening 41 minutes failed to yield a goal for either side, UMass got on the board at the 41:24 mark when Ben Arikian's cross from the left side deflected off a St. Bonaventure defender and into the net.

UMass turned its 1-0 lead at the break into a three-goal edge just minutes into the second frame. Mark Desantis converted a header goal in the 51st minute after the Bonnies failed on a clear attempt, while Prince Ofosu fired a well-struck ball past Bona keeper David Flynn to make it 3-0 just over a minute later.

"The second goal was our fault because we just didn't get the ball out when we had the chance," Mahler said. "Their third goal was the best of the four that they scored. He made a really nice play on the ball and finished really well."

St. Bonaventure found some redemption in the 68th minute as junior Samuel Maheu used his speed to create the scoring chance. Maheu beat the UMass defense down the left side of the field and delivered a cross into the box where an open Kevin Mjaatvedt finished off the play to make it a 3-1 game.

The Bonnies continued to apply pressure as they added an extra forward in an attempt to comeback. The Minutemen capitalized on the Brown and White's aggressiveness with three minutes remaining, adding their fourth goal for the final outcome.

"I'm proud of the way we reacted to each of their scores," said Mahler. "We didn't stop playing and that shows a lot of character. This team has a lot of that (character) and we need to learn that some good can come out of trying times like this. Our job now is to regroup and get ready for Rhode Island. This team has the mental toughness and I know we'll overcome this and come out hungry for a positive result on Sunday."

For the game, UMass out-shot St. Bonaventure by an 18-10 margin. Flynn was busy in net, making 10 saves, including eight in the second half.

St. Bonaventure will be back in action on Sunday when it completes its A-10 home weekend by welcoming Rhode Island to campus. Kick-off is slated for 1 p.m. at McGraw-Jennings Field.