By: Eoghan Kelly, News Correspondant
Against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Sept. 11, the senior forward scored a pivotal goal to send the match to overtime and drew a penalty kick that would lead to the game-winning goal in the first extra frame. The men’s soccer team was once again a beneficiary of his fortune Saturday, when Semerene scored the clinching goal in a 2-1 win over Fairfield University at Parsons Field.
“I’ve just been working hard all season,” Semerene said. “We’ve had a good couple weeks in practice and everything we’ve been seeing in practice as a team has been coming out on the field.”
Semerene’s second goal of the season came as a result of another strong individual effort from sophomore midfielder Dante Marini. After a botched Fairfield clearance that resulted Husky possession of the ball, Marini eluded three Stag defenders and drew the attention of nearly five others at the top of the 18-yard box before slipping a pass to a wide-open Semerene just above the penalty spot. Semerene knew what to do from there and slotted the ball past junior keeper Michael O’Keefe to give the Huskies the lead for good in the 80th minute.
“Dante [Marini] took the ball and went through what seemed like about seven or eight players before he made a play for Josh to tap home,” head coach Brian Ainscough said.
“It was a terrific individual effort by [Marini] to make that goal.”
The Huskies, who improved to 4-1-1 with Saturday’s win, played with a lead in the second half for the first time in four games. Sophomore forward Ricardo McDonald, who was ineligible for Northeastern’s match on Sept. 11 (because he was sent off two days earlier when he picked up two yellow cards), came on as a substitute at the 29-minute mark and was the first to find the back of the net just six minutes into the second half.
Following a blocked free kick from just outside the penalty area, senior attacking midfielder Mike Kennedy took the ball to the endline and fed a cross to sophomore midfielder Laurence Braude, who hammered a volley into the right post. McDonald was there to head the rebound past a helpless O’Keeffe.
Junior keeper Oliver Blum said being a goal up gave the team added poise and alleviated the pressure that playing from behind can put on a unit.
“It was good to play with some confidence,” Blum said. “We’re a confident group and to have a lead just helped our cause a lot more. It’s a lot easier playing with the lead.
Blum, who Ainscough said has been battling injuries this season, was substituted out for redshirt freshman keeper Jacob Aduama at halftime. The Stags (0-3-0) tested Aduama just once in the first half and forced Blum to make his first save of the match twelve minutes into the second before finally breaking through in the 82nd minute.
Sophomore midfielder Daniel Shaw played a looping ball from just behind midfield to freshman forward Jordan Ayris, who was streaking behind the Northeastern defense toward the penalty area. Blum was forced off his line but misplayed the ball, allowing Ayris to take a touch and tap the ball into an open net.
“We were caught sleeping a bit,” said Blum, who has given up four goals in five appearances so far in the 2011 season.
“The striker was barely just onside and he was able to get in one-on-one. He was able to get ahead of the loose ball and just slide it away for an easy goal, which I think can just be attributed to a mental slip-up.”
Ainscough expressed confidence in all of his goalkeepers, but Blum was quick to admit that he was impressed by the poise and play of Aduama, the youngest keeper on the Huskies’ roster.
“[Aduama] has a very, very bright future,” Blum said. “He’s a very good goalie and he’s only going to get better with experience. I thought he had a great game and I think he did everything he was asked to and even more.”
Blum faced his biggest test when he was forced to make a save with only a minute left. Fairfield graduate forward Jack Burridge fired a low volley toward the net, but Blum was there to secure the ball and preserve Northeastern’s one-goal lead.
Semerene praised Blum’s performance throughout the second half but emphasized that he shouldn’t have been pressured that much to begin with.
“Olly made a great save [in the 89th minute] and we definitely have to give him a lot of credit for that,” Semerene said. “Not only did he make the save, but he held the ball so there wasn’t an opportunity for a rebound. We need to work on closing out games and not allowing that [answering] goal in the first place.”
The Huskies will open their conference schedule when they host Virginia Commonwealth University Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. Although they are unbeaten in their last three games, Ainscough said that his team will be focused and diligent in practice leading up to their Colonial Athletic Association opener.
“We still have things that we need to work out,” Ainscough said. “I thought we came out slow against Fairfield. We need to make sure that, when we’re the home team, we set the pace of the game, take command of the game from the first minute.”
