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Men's soccer celebrates after a goal against St. John Fisher - Sept. 12, 2026
Pat Marek
5
Winner Canisius CAN (2-12-1, 1-7-1)
1
Merrimack MC (4-3-9, 2-1-6)
Winner
Canisius CAN
(2-12-1, 1-7-1)
5
Final
1
Merrimack MC
(4-3-9, 2-1-6)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Canisius CAN 5 0 5
Merrimack MC 1 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Men’s Soccer Picks Up First Conference Win in Goal Frenzy at Merrimack

Junior Romero Nicolazzo tallied five points to lead Canisius to a 5-1 win over Merrimack in Metro Conference men's soccer action Saturday at Martone-Mejail Field in North Andover, Mass.
 
Nicolazzo scored two goals and added an assist to highlight a Golden Griffins (2-12-1, 1-7-1 Metro) attack that saw seniors Kevin Villacorta-Osorto, Jason Hernandez and junior Kerby Henao also find the back of the net. Junior Adam Schantz started in net for Canisius, making two saves.
 
Gabriele Catterina netted the lone tally for the Warriors (4-3-8, 2-1-5 Metro), who dropped their first conference match of the season. Matteo Malaguti got the start in goal for Merrimack, making two saves before Jack Mancaniello played the remaining 17 minutes Saturday.
 
The Griffs opened the scoring just seven minutes into the contest as Nicolazzo collected a pass from freshman Lorenzo Tuch and chipped the ball over Malaguti to give Canisius an early lead.
 
Nicolazzo found the back of the net for a second time just three minutes after his initial tally to double the Canisius lead. Freshman Brayden Zavala-Lopez played a through ball into the box that found Nicolazzo, who slid the ball past the goalkeeper to put the Griffs ahead by a pair.
 
Canisius continued to pressure the Warriors before breaking through again in the 30th minute off the foot of Villacorta-Osorto. His initial shot was blocked by a Merrimack defender, but the senior collected his own rebound and beat the goalkeeper into the lower-right hand corner to extend the Griffs' lead to three.
 
Canisius added to its advantage just two minutes later as sophomore Noah Baumslag played a through ball to Henao, who rifled a shot off the post and into the net to put Canisius ahead, 4-0.
 
Nicolazzo continued to make an impact, chasing down a ball along the left side in the 34th minute before sending a pass into the box to Hernandez. Hernandez collected the pass and beat Malaguti with a shot into the lower-left corner to give the Griffs a commanding 5-0 lead.
 
Merrimack spoiled the Griffs shutout bid in the 36th minute as Catterina put home a rebound to cut the deficit to four.

Canisius carried its commanding lead into halftime and maintained its advantage throughout the second half to secure its first victory in Metro Conference play.
 
GAME NOTES
• Saturday marked the second all-time meeting between the Griffs and Warriors. Canisius now leads the series 2-0-0.
• Merrimack led the match in shots with an 18-10 advantage, with just three of those on goal.
• The Warriors also led the match in corner kicks taken, with a 10-2 edge.
• Nicolazzo's five points on Saturday move his season total up to 18. The Beamsville, Ontario native now has eight goals and two assists on the year.
• Hernandez' tally in the 34th minute marks the first goal and point of his collegiate career.
• Tuch picked up his second assist of the season with the primary helper on the opening tally. The freshman now has two points and has played over 900 minutes this season.
• With his primary helper on the Griffs fourth goal of the afternoon, Baumslag now has a team-leading five assists on the year.
• Henao's goal in the 32nd minute marks his first tally of the season and second as a Griff.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius concludes its 2026 campaign Wednesday as the team hosts Battle of the Bridge rival Niagara. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. at the Demske Sports Complex and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
SUPPORT THE GRIFFS
Support the Canisius Men's Soccer program in conjunction with the "More Than A Game" campaign. Your donation to the men's soccer program helps our student-athletes continue to be champions in the community, in the classroom and in competition. To donate, CLICK HERE.

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