CAMBRIDGE, Mass.  – UMass Boston jumped to a 2-0 first half lead en route to earning a 3-1 victory over the MIT men's soccer team on Saturday afternoon at Roberts Field.

With MIT trailing 2-0 after the break, first year Shikhar Motupally (Avon, Conn.) netted his fourth goal of the season just 1:42 into the second half to cut the deficit to one but the Engineers could not find the equalizer through the remainder of regulation. A late strike from senior Josh Almeida (Revere, Mass.) saw the Beacons secure the 3-1 final. 

THE BASICS:

• Score: UMass Boston 3, MIT 1
• Records: MIT (4-2-0 Overall), UMass Boston (2-1-2)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• UMass Boston scored twice at the end of the first half to take a 2-0 lead before halftime. The Beacons converted on a corner kick at 34:25 to take a 1–0 lead. First year Eduardo Chirico (Minas Gerais, Brazil) fired in a shot from the top of the penalty area after the corner from senior Diego Gisholt (Tijuana, Mexico) bounced free from the MIT defense. 
• The visitors doubled the lead on another set piece in the final seconds before halftime. This time it was Gisholt who looped in a free kick from right outside the penalty area at 44:55 to make the score 2-0. 
• In need of a spark at the start of the second half, MIT got one off the foot of Motupally when the first year placed the ball right below the cross bar from the right side of the penalty area to make the score 2-1. Graduate student Aidan Hallinan (Carlsbad, Calif.) picked up the assist on the play and now has 10 points through six games this season.
• The Engineers pressed throughout the second half, earning six corner kicks and outshooting the Beacons, 5-4. However, MIT's last bid came at 70:05 when first year Jonah Gurion's (Rye, N.Y.) bid went wide of the net. 
• UMass Boston put the game away in the final thanks to Almeida's strike, a long range bid from outside the penalty area following a pass from junior Elijah Elliot (Hope Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago). 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Chirico was consistently involved on the offensive ended for the Beacons, leading the game with seven shots attempts. UMass Boston finished the game with a 15-8 advantage in shots.
• Sophomore Hernando Ardila (Miramar, Fla.) made five saves in goal for MIT, facing a total of 15 shots. Graduate student goalkeeper Andy Ramirez (Waltham, Mass.) turned back two shots in net for UMass Boston. 
• Hallinan is just two point shy of matching his career-high (12) set during his sophomore season.

STAY CONNECTED:

• For the latest on MIT Athletics, follow the Engineers on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.