NEW LONDON, Conn. -- Two first half goals from junior Charles Fish propel the Coast Guard Academy Men's Soccer team to a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) victory over Springfield College on Saturday afternoon.

In front of an impassioned Homecoming Weekend crowd, the Bears defensive unit once again put up a shut-out effort, complimented by goalkeeper Josh Hudson's five saves. Behind the leadership of Co-Captain George Ackling, the Bears defense continues to be lights out and helping buoy Coast Guard in the Division III National ranking considerations. 

The star performer of the game, however, was Fish - tallying seven shots, three on goal, and netting two of them in the first half. His two goals, the latter assisted by senior John Flood, were the only two scores of the game. 

Fish's first goal came in the 14th minute on an unassisted attack past Springfield goalkeeper, Clayton Knibbs. Less than ten minutes later, Fish and the Bears would be jumping for joy again after Flood fed him on what would be his third shot of the day already. After that, the defense did the rest. Springfield managed only five shots on goal all afternoon. 

Head Coach Chris Parsons knows how important this game was for his team. 

"Today was a critical Conference win for our team! The win keeps us in the playoff hunt with the NEWMAC. Our ninth shutout of the season is a testament to how well we defend as a team."

The ninth shutout gives the Bears their eighth win of the season, boosting their record to 8-2-3 (2-2-1 in the NEWMAC). Springfield falls to 2-8-2 overall. 

The Bears will look to keep their momentum rolling into next week as they travel to Mass Maritime for a non-conference match on Tuesday, October 18th, 2022 at 7pm EST.