McCann Can't Keep Up Against Commerce

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The Commerce boys' soccer team wasn't fazed by a McCann Tech squad which came to town riding a four-game win streak on Tuesday. The Hornets' momentum didn't carry over against the Red Raiders, a powerful Division 2 team that scored five times in the first half on their way to an 8-0 win at home. 

After playing Commerce tough in a 5-2 loss in North Adams last month, McCann (7-9-1) just couldn't keep up in what turned out to be its worst loss of the season on Tuesday. Adam Kozik's club now must beat Franklin Tech on Friday to tie for second place in the Tri-County League and earn a spot in the Western Mass. tournament. 

Shane King and Shafiek Erwin each scored hat tricks and had one assist for the Raiders, who held a 39-13 edge in shots in the game. Mahat Diriye also scored a pair of goals, while Quadri Ogunneye was the ultimate faciliator, notching five assists in the game. 

It was a tough day for Hornets' goalkeeper Connor Vazquez, but he certainly did everything he could to keep his team in the game. Vazquez finished with 18 saves and some well-deserved praise from his head coach. 

"Even though the score doesn't show it, Connor did a fine job stopping Commerce from scoring," Kozik said. "Man-to-man marking was a major problem with this team because each player seemed to have amazing ball-handling skills."

McCann closes out the regular season with a 4 p.m. game against Franklin on Friday. 


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