Maniscalco Garners CACC Goalkeeper of the Week Award, Brito Scores Weekly Honor Roll Mention
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New Haven, Conn. - (9/12/2017) – Senior midfielder Vini Brito (Sao Paulo, Brazil) had a stellar performance during this last Saturday afternoon’s 5-1 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) victory against Caldwell University – scoring Chestnut Hill College’s last three goals for his first hat trick as a member of the Scarlet and Gold. The triumph was the second straight for the Griffins who dismantled the Cougars defensive strategy earlier in the affair. Chestnut Hill College’s first win of the week, and season, came in shutout fashion three days prior – a 1-0 triumph at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) and a career first for sophomore goalkeeper Frank Maniscalco (Philadelphia, Pa.), who garnered the CACC Goalkeeper of the Week honor. Brito was a mention on the CACC Men’s Soccer Weekly Honor Roll.
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On Wednesday, September 6, sophomore defenseman Paris Bruhn (Horst Holstein, Germany) located junior midfielder Jason Doherty (Letterkenny Donegal, Ireland) just after the 38-minute mark (38:04) of the at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) (1-2). In addition to Maniscalco’s first career shutout and win, the tally also earned Head Coach Zack Ssebatindira his first career win. Maniscalco totaled five saves.
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On Saturday, September 9, a fast-paced game saw goals scored on the first three shots as Caldwell University (1-2-1, 0-1-0) took a 1-0 lead at the 2-minute mark (2:00), when a Chestnut Hill College (2-2, 1-0) defenseman cleared a Cougar shot to the back of the Griffin goal. The Scarlet and Gold quickly regrouped as senior midfielder Joseph Casaletto (Sewell, N.J.) possessed a loose ball at the top of the box and landed it in the back of the visitor’s net to knot the affair at one goal apiece, 1-1 (4:22). The Griffins did not stop there, continuing the offensive pressure for a second goal at 5:14, 2-1. Bruhn provided an impressive serve to mid-box, where senior forward Zachary Gray (West Sussex, England) one-touched the ball by freshman goalkeeper Nils Svere (Lier, Norway) for the tally. Play settled over the next 12 minutes, until Brito interrupted the silence with the finishing touch on a tick-tack-toe connection that was set up by Gray and Casaletto, 3-1 (17:28). The remainder of the opening half was completed without another score, leaving the Scarlet and Gold with a two-goal lead at intermission.
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Brito netted his second goal directly off a restart at 64:21, 4-1. Caldwell University tried to make headway by upping their physicality late, but the aggression only awarded the Griffins a penalty kick, which Brito promptly delivered to the back of the Cougar goal at 88:55, 5-1.
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Brito was efficient, scoring his three goals on exactly three shots. He and Gray tied for the team lead in attempts as the Griffins outshot the Cougars 15-10. Maniscalco needed to only make two saves in the win (2-2).
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Chestnut Hill College resumes CACC play on Wednesday, September 13, when they visit Goldey-Beacom College for a 4:00 p.m. contest.