ST. DAVIDS, Pa.- Eastern University Men's Soccer picked up an impressive 3-0 Homecoming win over the visiting DeSales University Bulldogs to remain unbeaten in Freedom Conference play. Austin Stover, Eric Giovagnoli, and Josh Cirocco scored and the Eastern defense played well to pick up its eighth clean sheet of the year.
With a near capacity crowd filling the hill for the start of the match, the Eagles hit their stride early when Giovagnoli picked up a ball on the left side of the field and attacked with the dribble. The sophomore forward reached the edge of the box about twelve yards from the end line. A pair of DeSales defenders converged on Giovagnoli and sent him to the ground.
With the ball at the edge of the box at an unusual angle, Stover ripped a curling serve in front of several Eastern attackers. DeSales keeper Colin Sulpizio had to hold his position for a potential reaction save for a shot from a forward, but those shots never came and Stover's initial ball curled in at the back post.
Up a goal, the Eagles carried the action throughout he first half. Eastern had an 11-3 advantage in shots and a 6-2 edge in corners, but Sulpizio made seven stops in the first half to keep his side in the game.
Sulpizio made another brilliant stop diving to his left to start the second half on a half on a blast from Giovagnoli from the top of the box. Giovagnoli would not give Sulpizio a chance when he doubled the score moments later.
First year midfielder Jamie Bonner played a ball into space on the right flank. Giovagnoli tracked down the ball and did the rest. The Bulldogs sent a pair of defenders to take the ball at a tough angle twenty yards from goal. Giovagnoli split the two defenders and pushed the ball past a third defender and cracked a missile inside the far post from eight years out for his eighth tally of the year.
Josh Cirocco iced the game with his third goal of the year just before the hour mark. Cirrocco picked up a ball in the middle of the field and beat a pair of defenders before lashing a left-footed shot to the lower corner.
Joe Centeno made five saves to preserve the shutout. The Eagles (10-2, 2-0 Freedom) have another important Freedom Conference test at Manhattanville College on Wednesday afternoon.
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