Knights Battleground Week 4: Men's Soccer in win Column, Women's Volleyball Continues Dominant Start, And The Latest around CCRI Athletics
Click Here To See The Results and Stats of Week 4.
Men’s Soccer:
The CCRI Men's soccer team traveled to Holyoke Community College on Tuesday, October 1st for a 4pm game. The Knights came out straight from the gate and scored 45 seconds into the game when Jose Reynoso fired in a pass that Tyler Pendergast was able to get pass the Holyoke goalkeeper. 12 minutes later, Braiden Corbett pushed up from his defensive position to give Sebastian Velez a nice pass, who took a shot past the goalkeeper which gave the Knights the 2-0 lead at the half. At the half Coach Mike Jerue for the Knights warned the players that a 2-0 lead is the most dangerous lead in a soccer game. True enough, to begin the second half Holyoke scored in 32 seconds, catching the Knights sleeping. Putting Holyoke back in the game making the score 2-1. Ten minutes later, Andre Barbosa gave a laser pass to Sebastian Velez who scored his second goal of the day, giving the Knights a 3-1 lead. A minute later, Devin Cabral dribbled around two defenders outside the 18-yard box to set up one of the better goals of the season, as he fired a pinpoint accurate shot into the side netting making the lead 4-1. Holyoke was able to score for Holyoke making the score 4-2. But in the end, the Knights had the last word as Sam Naiefeh Jr. assisted Devin Cabral who was able to hit a nice half volley into the back of the net giving the Knights the 5-2 victory on the day. Elijah Cruz was in goal for the Knights and had a solid game along with the backline which consisted of Anthony Franco, Antonio Rojo, Braiden Corbett and Nichols Pires.
The CCRI men's soccer team traveled to Quinsigamond Community College on Friday October for a 4pm game. The Knights were searching for their second win this season. Andrew Jackson served up a nice ball from a corner two minutes into the game that Tyler Pendergast was able to put into the back of the net giving the Knights a 1-0 lead early in the game. The Knights did not take advantage of this lead and within a minute Quinsigamond was able to break down the end line and tie the game with a goal by Diego Pinto. Twenty minutes later Quinsigamond scored again when Christopher Lumanyika was left unmarked, and he was able to put a header by Elijah Cruz who was in the net again for the Knights. This goal gave Quinsigamond a 2-1 lead at half time. Jose Reynoso and Sam Naiefeh Jr. had both solid games today and worked hard on both sides of the ball. Two minutes into the second half, Reynoso ignited the offense with an amazing strike from 30 yards out. This incredible goal tied the game for the Knights at 2 apiece. Reynoso had the goal of the game until Sam Naiefeh Jr. decided to take that title from him. Andre Barbosa slipped in a pass to Naiefeh, who took on a defender before hitting an unbelievable powerful shot that rattled the net from a good distance, around 25 yards out. This gave the Knights the lead with a 3-2 score line. Anthony Franco, Braiden Corbett and Nichols Pires played hard defensively throughout the entire game and were able to hold strong and keep this score until the end of the game.
CCRI's next game is scheduled for Tuesday, 10/8/24, when they will travel to Taunton, Massachusetts to play Bristol Community College for a 6:30pm kick-off.
Women’s Soccer
The ninth ranked CCRI Women’s soccer team opened this week by hosting Holyoke Community College on Wednesday, October 2nd for a 3:30 kickoff. The knights opened the game with a heavy offensive, dominating the time of possession on Holyoke’s side of the field. It took a while for CCRI to finally find the back of the net after multiple saves were made by Holyoke’s goalkeeper, Avery Ellis. A penalty inside of the box was made against a Holyoke defender that helped set up a PK goal made by Meadow Santos to give the Knights a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute. Nearly 5 minutes later Mayah Santos, finds the back of the Holyoke net assisted by Irais Franco to make the score 2-0. The Knights and Franco were not done scoring yet as in another 6 minutes Irais Franco would score and be assisted by Hailee Manteiga, giving the knights a commanding 3-0 lead before the half. After the half, the Knights continued an offensive push while not being overly aggressive, still putting up shots on goal but could not find the back of the net in the second half. The Knight’s defense was in full effect the entire game with only allowing Holyoke to 4 shots on goal and goalkeeper, Leah Neves, saving each of those 4 shots on goal. CCRI would beat Holyoke 3-0.
The Knights looked to keep rolling as they hosted Hudson Valley on Sunday, October 6th for a 1:00pm kickoff. Hudson Valley started off with great defense, passing, and offense to help keep CCRI on their toes. 8 Minutes in Hudson Valley’s, Lauren Foglia headed in a ball assisted by Katelyn Visone to give Hudson Valley the early 1-0 lead. Throughout the game Hudson Valleys defense was suffocating the Knights offense and not allowing any penetration to happen. The game continued to be back and forth all throughout the half, with multiple shots on goals and saves by both goalkeepers. In the second half, frustrations continued for the Knights as they still could not get the offensive push that they needed. Then in the 72nd minute a goal by Hailee Manteiga changed the game as the Knights tied it late 1-1. Then 2 minutes later Hudson Valley responded back with a corner kick goal scored by Foglia to regain the lead 2-1. The Knights continued to fight after the late goal by Foglia but could not get it done as CCRI would fall to Hudson Valley 2-1.
The 9th ranked Knights will take on Bunker Hill Community College this upcoming Saturday, October 12th at noon.
VOLLEYBALL
Women’s Volleyball would travel to Holyoke Community College on Saturday, October 5th, for a tri-match. First on the schedule was the also visiting, Quinsigamond Wyverns. CCRI delivered a powerful performance against Quinsigamond Community College. CCRI came out strong, particularly in the first set, where they notched an impressive 13 kills with a hitting percentage of .308, while Quinsigamond struggled to find their rhythm, managing only 4 kills and a hitting percentage of .150. Julia Polofsky was a standout player for CCRI, leading the team with 8 kills and an efficient .500 hitting percentage. Her consistent offensive play was bolstered by Teagan Abatiello, who contributed 4 kills and provided critical support in the back row. They would win the first set by a score of 25-19. That was all the gas QCC had however, and the Knights cruised to victory from there. Renedis Rivera also played a key role, delivering solid defensive support with crucial digs and helping to maintain momentum for CCRI. They would win sets two and three handily by scores of 25-9, and 25-10. Brooke Dibenedetto provided much needed defensive pressure and offensive quarterbacking, providing 25 total assists in CCRI’s 3-0 win over QCC.
Quinsigamond's attack was spearheaded by Charlyn Cartagena, who recorded 3 kills, but they struggled with errors that hindered their scoring opportunities. Daniela Lora added to the effort with a well-rounded performance, achieving 1 kill and contributing significantly on defense with 5 digs.
Next, they took on the Holyoke Cougars in the second match of the day. The first set set the tone for the match as CCRI established themselves winning with a score of 25-18. Julia Polofsky led the charge, contributing 9 kills and a hitting percentage of .261. Teagan Abatiello also made a significant impact, adding 8 kills, while CCRI's defense, anchored by Brooke Dibenedetto's 13 digs, kept Holyoke at bay.
In the second set, CCRI continued to build on their momentum, winning 25-23. Jaylin Pena emerged as a key player, providing 10 kills and helping maintain a .300 hitting percentage. Despite a stronger showing from Holyoke, who managed 12 kills, CCRI's offensive firepower proved too much to handle.
The third set saw a shift in momentum as Holyoke fought back, winning 25-19. Gissel Santos was particularly effective for the home team, racking up 15 kills and rallying her teammates. CCRI struggled offensively, recording only 6 kills and a hitting percentage of just .048, which allowed Holyoke to capitalize on their mistakes.
However, CCRI rebounded in the fourth set, taking control once more with a 25-21 victory. Teagan Abatiello and Jaylin Pena continued their strong performances, combining for critical kills that propelled CCRI ahead. With strong defensive efforts and a solid serve receive, CCRI sealed the match with a final hitting percentage of .153, compared to Holyoke's .088. CCRI would win the game by a set count of 3-1.
Next up this week for the Knights, who are now 6-1 on the season, is an away game on Tuesday, October 8th, as CCRI will travel to Northern Essex Community College for a 6:30 PM match. Then, on Saturday, October 12th, CCRI will have a busy day with two matches lined up. First, they will take on Bunker Hill Community College at 4:30 PM at Bristol Community College, and following that, at 6:00 PM, CCRI will face Bristol Community College.
Player Spotlight: Elijah Cruz
In last week’s men’s soccer games against Holyoke and Quinsigamond community college Elijah Cruz played outstanding. Cruz had a total of 17 saves out of 21 shots, giving him a save percentage of 80%. These are impressive stats for Cruz, as he originally started out as a position player earlier in the season and was moved into goal.
Cruz helped lead the Knights to 2-0 on the week and a an overall record of 2-6-1.