On Saturday, Sept. 24, the NECC Knights defeated New Hampshire Technical Institute NHTI 3-0 at the Haverhill campus in Haverhill, Mass.

Before the game I asked NECC Soccer head coach Eusebio Marote how difficult is this short period, with opponents outscoring them 14-3 in the past three games combined, excluding opening day?

“Yeah, you know unfortunate the numbers are like that but at the end of the day we take it game by game and there’s nothing you can do about those games. So what we tried to do is start fresh every game and trying to get results,” he said.

Before the game the referee called the captains of both teams like they usually do before the game start for a coin toss to see who is going to get the first kick of the game.

Mission 22 it’s a group of people united in the war against veteran suicide. They were in attendance and for the national anthem before the game.

The game officially started at 12:02 p.m., one of the Knights soccer players hit a head shot to the goaltender of NHTI. Then the trainer had to come and check on the goaltender of New Hampshire Technical Institute, but he was all right.

The Knights had 6 shots on goals in the first 10 minutes of the game.

 The first goal of the game was own goal one of the NHTI player made it  to make it 1-0 Knights.

The second goal of the game by Sem Milambo of Lawrence was waived off, the call on the field was offside and as of result it was no goal and the game still remained 1-0.

The Knights had a few chances in the first period to try to blow this thing open quickly but they just couldn’t take advantage of the situation.

“Yeah, I think it could’ve been more but it is what it is regardless at the end of the day we keep it clean sheet and we won,” said Marote.

In the 38 minutes of the game Rayane Elmhklouk of Methuen  made it 2-0 Knights with an assist of Steve Sime of Haverhill.

The Knights had two corner kick and NHTI had none. The Knights had ten  shots on goal. NHTI also had one. The Knights had three fouls and NHTI one in the first half.

In the second half the Knights had two free kicks on two fouls in less then 10 minutes of action. with 25 minutes left in the second half the Knights had another free kick as one of the NHTI player touched the ball with his hand.

Alex Mutumbo from Concord, N.H.,  kicked a shot that it hit on top of the crossbar as they were looking to score the first goal of the game.

Fadi Serhan of Middletown made it 3-0 on his second goal of the game in the minute 71 with an assist of Sam De Amorim of Methuen.

The Knights  had two corner kicks and NHTI one. The Knights had nine shots on goal and NHTI had four. NHTI had five fouls and NECC had four.

Coach Morate and I talked a little bit about the win the Knights pick up against NHTI after the game?

“I think it’s big for our confidence you know three nil keeping it clean, it’s been huge for our goalie as well and overall just a good win you know. I think we could’ve put couple more in but can’t be too, selfish a win is a win,” he said.

I had a chance to interview NECC Knights goaltender Anhuar Ramos Garcia of Nashua. N.H., after the game we talked about how he boasted his confidence when his team strikes first. “My confidence came back high and I knew we could play more comfortable and stuff like that we also keep trying our best,” he said.

We also talked about that this was the first shutout win for the Knights this season “It feels good, I’m very happy it was a team win and everybody came on to play and I’m very happy for the win,” he said.