NEW LONDON, Conn. —
Senior forward
Jake Fish (Little Silver, N.J.) netted his first goal of the season to help the United States Coast Guard Academy men's soccer team secure a draw against New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) foes Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Saturday at Nitchman Field.
Coast Guard moves to 5-2-2 on the season and 1-0-1 in conference play. The tie brings an end to their three-game win streak while extending their unbeaten run to five. WPI remains on the hunt for their first win of the 2026 season, moving to 0-4-5 overall and 0-0-2 against league foes. The Engineers get a week off before returning to action against another NEWMAC side, hosting their cross-town rivals from Clark University (2-4-3, 1-1-1) next Saturday, the 10th.
The visitors struck first in the 7th minute off of a throw-in. A WPI attacker received the ball and dribbled through the Coast Guard back line and into the front of the box, where he was able to get a shot into the back of the net to apply some early pressure. The Bears were unable to equalize during the opening 45 despite their eight shots, two of which were on goal.
Fish scored his equalizer in the 64th minute. Senior midfielder
Cole Miller (Annapolis, Md.) was able to weave through the WPI back line to reach the front of the box, where he sent a low shot towards the middle of the goal. The WPI keeper was shading towards the left post, forcing him to dive to knock the ball away. Luckily for the home side, Fish swooped in for an easy follow-up tap.
The score caused a change in momentum, with Coast Guard consistently possessing the ball deep in the WPI backfield. The Bears were ultimately unable to break the stalemate. Coast Guard held a 19-10 lead in shots taken, a 6-3 lead in shots on goal, and a 9-5 advantage in corner kick opportunities. 25 fouls were called in the game, with 14 going against the Bears. Five yellow cards were drawn, all in the second half, as the hosts were shown three.
Senior midfielder
Andres Villasana (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) led the Bears with three shot attempts, while Miller and senior back
Jack Lopez (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) totaled a team-leading two shots on goal each. Junior midfielder
Hassan Al-Azawi (Scottsdale, Ariz.) was a sparkplug off the bench, providing good ball movement and passing in transition during his time on the pitch.
Bears men's soccer returns to action on Wednesday, the 7th, taking a road trip to face another NEWMAC side in the form of MIT (3-3-3, 1-0-1). The game was rescheduled from last Saturday, September 26th, due to the recent nor'easter that shook New England. Last year's meeting between the two sides at Nitchman Field saw Coast Guard come away with a 1-0 victory following a stalwart defensive effort.
