Big Guns Lead Harvard Past UNH

Akpan, Fucito Net Goals for Crimson

September 24, 2008

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The big guns were firing for the Harvard men’s soccer team Tuesday.

Andre Akpan scored his first two goals of the season in the first half and Michael Fucito added a tally in the second to lead the Crimson to a 3-1 non-conference victory over previously unbeaten New Hampshire (5-1-2) at Ohiri Field.

Akpan, a preseason All-American, put Harvard ahead 1-0 at 8:18 when Fucito, a preseason All-American in his own right, moved the ball ahead to the Akpan in the box. Akpan spun around, faked to his left and then buried a shot into the right side of the net past New Hampshire goalkeeper Colin O’Donnell.

Harvard's Andre Akpan scored his first two goals of the season Tuesday. (Harvard Athletics)

After a Harvard foul in front of its own goal, Wildcat Chris Banks capitalized on a penalty kick to tie the game. Harvard goalkeeper Joseph Alexander guessed correctly, diving to his left, but Bank’s shot bounced just inside the left post at 13:59.

Harvard (3-2-0) regained the lead in the 35th minute when John Stamatis took the ball deep in the Harvard zone, weaved through several New Hampshire attackers and advanced past midfield. Stamatis fired a pass ahead to Akpan at the top of the box. Akpan then beat O’Donnell for his second goal in the first 34:22.

Midway through the second, Fucito gave Harvard some breathing room with a shot from his left foot that hit the top corner of the net at 72:06. Dillon O'Neill was credited with an assist on the play as the Crimson doubled its lead to 3-1.

With the goal and assist against the Wildcats, Fucito, a senior co-captain, leads the team with 11 points and five goals.

Down the stretch, the Crimson defended three corner kicks by New Hampshire to pick up their third victory of the year.

“We faced a team that came into today on a roll and we were able to deflate them pretty early on,” said Harvard coach Jamie Clark. “This was not a classic game, but we did what we had to do to win. We have some players that create plays out of nothing and we capitalized.”

The Wildcats outshot the Crimson, 14-7, for the game and had six of the seven corner kicks. Harvard though scored on three of four shots on goal to match its season-high with three tallies.

Alexander made six saves for the Crimson, while O’Donnell had one stop.

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