FINAL SCORE: UMass 2, Vermont 1
AMHERST, Mass. – UMass scored two goals late in the second half and handed the Vermont men's soccer team a 2-1 defeat on Tuesday evening. The Cats drop to 6-5 overall on the year after the brief return to non-conference play. UMass improves to 7-2-2 after reaching the win column in its non-league finale.
 
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The Catamounts took an early 1-0 lead in the 13th minute thanks to Trevor Colazzo's first career goal.  Tom Cole played a through ball into the middle of the field where Colazzo sprinted past the UMass backline and lofted a shot over Bardia Asefnia.
 
Late in the first half, the Green and Gold were on the attack once again. Justin Freitas was on the receiving end of a low through ball and the junior beat the UMass defense into the box. The 5-10 forward ripped a right-footed shot towards the near post but the attempt sliced wide.  
 
In the 58th minute, UVM tried to pad its lead with a rebound opportunity. Dani Rovira had his shot blocked and Mikel Kabala collected the ball and launched a shot on frame but Asefnia came up with the save.
 
Rovira had another chance in the 73rd minute. The junior marched into the right side of the box and tried to thread the needle with a shot, but his attempt was blocked by a UMass defender.
 
The Minutemen struck for two goals in a three-minute span. In the 77th minute, Mike Rita chipped a ball into the box to Davis Smith, who tapped the equalizer into the right side of the net. In the 80th minute, Alex DeSantis hooked a shot into the top left corner of the net on a free kick from 20 yards out.  
 
Vermont hosts rival Albany at Virtue Field on Saturday (Oct. 7) in a rematch of last year's America East Semifinal. Action gets underway at 1 p.m. The game will be held in conjunction with Homecoming & Reunion Weekend, presented by the UVM Alumni Association. 
 
Single game tickets are available for purchase at UVMathletics.com/Tickets or at the Gutterson Fieldhouse Box Office on gameday. Free live video will be available in HD at AmericaEast.TV.