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Stonehill Soccer defies all odds and defeats the number one team in the country

BY CHRISTOPHER CASSIDY


For the first time in recent memory, the Stonehill men’s soccer team beat the number one team in the country.


Despite the season being over and missing the playoffs, October 23, 2021 marked a milestone in the College men’s soccer history when they defeated the number one ranked team in the country, Franklin Pierce 1-0 in double overtime.


Stonehill used a defensive game plan against what at the time was a 14-0 record. The Ravens team is notorious for scoring multiple goals in 80 percent of the games they played.


In a game of high intensity and one that included two yellow cards between both teams, Stonehill prevailed in double overtime by a score of 1-0.


Goalkeeper Andrew Hammersley went five for five on saves, which was a key to a huge victory against a team that averaged 15 shots per game.


“Hammer stands on his head every single game for us,” sophomore forward Jacob Woznicki said. “He played his most complete game of the year and it led us to the win we all deserved.”

Hammersley finished the season with 99 saves and finished on top with the rest of the goal keepers in the Northeast 10 Conference.


To put the shot totals into perspective, Stonehill only averaged 10 shots per game throughout the season.


The numbers that Franklin Pierce was able to put up were so unusually high it made other teams seem weaker.


Stonehill allowed the Ravens only five total shots, which showed just how dominant their defense was throughout the contest.


“Not only was Hammer outstanding during the Franklin Pierce, but our entire defensive line, Shon Ryan, Chris Sederquist, Eben Degbor, and Michael Moylan all played a huge part in the shutout,” Woznicki said. “The shutout goes to those guys for not conceding a goal when the opponent had yet to be shut out this season.”


Offensively, Stonehill did not have as much of a presence as Franklin Pierce did, but in the end, possession time is not what mattered most in the game outcome.


“We had really just started doing a different play on the kickoff, so we all knew what we had to do at the start of second overtime,” Woznicki said.


He felt the play developing in front of him and knew he could act on the ball position and find the opening in the net.


“Franklin Pierce tried to clear the ball, but Shon hit a great ball back into the attacking third to Ian who was able to tack a few guys 1 on 1,” he said. “The ball popped out and Zach got a good enough pass off and I was just able to catch the goalie off guard and pass it in.”


Jacob Woznicki squeaked a shot into the back of the net 37 seconds into the second overtime to knock off the number one ranked team in the nation and as soon as he saw it go in, he knew it was time to party.


He emphasized that the win was one for the ages and it was only fitting that it occurred on the team’s senior day.


“Like I said, any team can win on any day, and it turns out that senior day happened to be our day,” he said. “We all know the season didn’t turn out exactly how we would’ve liked, but that moment of pure astonishment, shock, and excitement was all we needed to feel as a team to make that day special.”


Even though it is not the way the team wanted to end the season, Woznicki is grateful to have spent the past season with a team that defied the odds against the number one team in Division II out of 234 teams.


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