WENHAM, Mass. - Coast Guard men's soccer opened their 2024 campaign at Gordon College on Friday evening, picking up a 1-0 win over the Fighting Scots to start the season off right.

Gordon was tabbed to finish as the 5-seed this season in the Conference of New England (CNE), which was known up until recently as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC). Last season, the Scots claimed the 3-seed after a 4-1-3 regular season finish before being bounced early from the CCC Tournament after a 4-2 first-round loss to 6-seed Curry College.

Aki Freeman (San Diego, Calif.) scored the only goal of the game early, burying one in the back-right corner off an assist by Brennan King (Shepherdstown, W.Va.) at 4:33. Freeman, a junior forward, is looking to improve upon an impressive 2023 season in which he scored 3 goals and tallied 2 assists en route to a NEWMAC Second Team All-Conference selection.

Coast Guard took two corner kicks at 14:47 and 30:40, but failed to convert on either of them. Freeman tried two more shots at 27:22 and 32:26, but the first went wide right and the second was saved by Gordon's Gunnar Lucuk. The Scots were held to only two shots in the half while senior midfielder Noah Martin picked up a yellow card at 22:52.

The start of the second half saw little action until first-year Gordon defender Cody Dill picked up a yellow card. The Fighting Scots took two corner kicks at 59:59 and 74:40 but couldn't capitalize. Both teams combined for eight fouls during the final 45 minutes.

The closing minutes of the match saw stellar attempts at goals by both sides. Gordon first-year midfielder Moises Montano sent a fast rolling ball towards the goal at 84:33, but it rolled just wide left of the post and a diving John Putnam (Halfmoon, N.Y.). Coast Guard's chance came at 88:12 after a downfield clear led to a 2-on-1 opportunity for Jake Fish, (Little Silver, N.J.) who sent a screamer that was stopped by an excellent save by Lucuk.

Coast Guard displayed stellar backfield defense in the 90 minutes of play, holding Gordon to just 5 shots and none on goal. Defense was a trademark of the Bears playing style last year as they held opponents to just 1.11 goals per game during the 2023 regular season en route to a NEWMAC Tournament semi-final loss to eventual conference champions WPI. Coast Guard's back line, led by team captain and 2023 USC All-Region II selection Jude Sargent (West Hartford, Conn.), looks to improve on an already stifling defensive strategy.

Men's soccer is back at it on Saturday evening as they head to Beverly, Mass. to face Endicott College at 5 PM.