The Berkeley Beacon

Issue date: 9/22/05 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Beacon photo/Samantha Baime

The Emerson men's soccer team won its first game of the season last Saturday despite rainy weather and a fight during the first half of the game that quickly escalated, resulting in each team's loss of a player.

The fight did not stop the men's soccer team from defeating Rivier College 4-3.

"We were able to stay focused and did not let the fight affect us," Head Coach Jared Scarpaci said.

"This was our first conference game of the season so the team was really fired up," Scarpaci said.

With 33 minutes left in the first half, junior Chris Glosecki scored the first goal for the Emerson men, giving them the early lead. Rivier, however, would answer back 13 minutes later.

Later on in the first half, Emerson freshman film major Joe Harris and Rivier's Jared Keefe were both fouled after sliding into one another, according to freshman defenseman Nate Cormier.

Soon after, Harris pushed Keefe, which was followed by three Rivier players rushing Harris, Cormier said.

"There was a foul and it flared up real quickly," Scarpaci said.
From there, the altercation grew even more intense.

"It escalated," said junior and Team Captain Cody Schram. "[It] went from pushing to punching."

Emerson defenseman Erik Osterholm went to the scene. "Osterholm tried to get them and was punched in the face," Cormier said. He suffered a broken nose, according to Scarpaci.

Schram added that more players soon were involved.

"It involved half the players on the field," he said. Although the fight didn't last more than a few minutes, it was long enough to "rattle players and coaches."

In the end, Rivier's Keefe and Emerson midfielder Ryan Poliseno received red cards and were ejected. Both sides played one man down for the rest of the game.

Going into the second half, Scarpaci did not want his players to lose their heads and try to injure the other team.

"I told my guys to focus on the game and not on the fight," he said.

First year Berklee student Michael Bianco, who plays soccer at Emerson, took his coach's advice and scored a goal during the second half to give the men the lead.

"I thought he did a good job," Scarpaci said. "[Bianco's] got a nose for the goal."

Rivier scored two quick goals to take the lead with eight minutes left in the game.

With just four and a half minutes left, however, junior Butcho Caires scored a goal for the men to tie the game.

Continued...

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