Southern Maine Athletics

GORHAM, Maine – Nickolas Santana scored in the 17th minute for the lone goal of the contest in a 1-0 win by the Western Connecticut State University Wolves over the University of Southern Huskies on Saturday afternoon in Little East Conference men's soccer action at Hannaford Field. Santana was able to slip through the Southern Maine defense and deliver a ball that snuck into the net.
 
The Records:
WestConn (10-3-3, 6-0 LEC)
Southern Maine (4-5-4, 1-2-2 LEC)
 
Today's game marked the 35th meeting between the University of Southern Maine Huskies and the Western Connecticut State University Wolves.  WestConn leads the overall series 26-8-1. The Wolves defeated Southern Maine 3-0 in Danbury in 2025.  The Huskies earned a 1-1 draw in Danbury in 2023, but WestConn is 14-0-1 against the Huskies since a 1-0 loss in September of 2011 in Connecticut.
 
How It Happened:

• Southern Maine had its first scoring chance of the contest in the 13th minute when a corner kick by junior Jack Brady (Jensen Beach, Fla.) set up a header by junior Alex Graver (Freeport, Maine) that hit that crossbar and bounced back into play. Senior Martin Kelly (Portland, Maine) fired a shot off the rebound that was stopped by WestConn keeper Aime Ruggles.
• Following the Huskies' scoring chance, the Wolves worked the ball into the Huskies' territory and Santana found himself in front of the net to deliver a shot that found the net for his seventh goal of the season.
• The teams combined for just one more shot on goal in the first half, a blast by Jeffrey Norales that was stopped by Huskies' senior goalkeeper Gabe Wagner (Freeport, Maine).
• Graver had two chances in the first 10 minutes of the second half. However, Ruggles was able to stop both shots, including a diving save on a header following a great free kick by senior Ahmed Al Mshakheel (Baghdad, Iraq/Biddeford), to keep the score at 1-0.
• Wagner made a diving save to deny a header by Matthews Rocha in the 73rd minute following a WestConn free-kick to keep the Huskies down a goal.
• The Wolves controlled the ball for the majority of the final five minutes, and an 89th-minute shot by freshman Connor Skillin (Cumberland, Maine/Greely) was stopped by Ruggles.

 
The Goalkeepers:
WC: Aime Ruggles (9-0-1), 90:00, 0 GA, 7 SV
SM: Gabe Wagner (3-4-3), 90:00, 1 GA, 4 Saves
 
Inside The Stats:

• WestConn outshot Southern Maine 16-14 (7-5 on goal), and had a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks.
• WestConn committed 17 fouls to Southern Maine's nine.

 
Up Next:
Southern Maine is on the road for the next two games at Bates College on Tuesday, October 13 (7:00 pm) and at VTSU-Castleton on Saturday, October 17 (4:00 pm). The Huskies host Maine Maritime Academy on Tuesday, October 20 (7:00 pm).