Men’s Soccer Earns Decisive Home Win
Castro Scores Hat Trick of Headers
(Holyoke, MA) - Men's soccer put a notch in the win column on Saturday afternoon, handily defeating Hampshire College 5-0. The home victory was Holyoke's first of the young season and their first shutout.
Sophomore center back Lucas Castro (Chicopee, MA / Chicopee Comprehensive HS), who has played brilliantly defensively since becoming a Cougar in 2024, led the offensive explosion on Saturday. Castro tallied a hat trick in the win, with all three goals he scored coming off his head. He notched the first two goals of the game by getting on the end of a corner kick, the first one being his first collegiate goal. Castro's third, to complete the hat trick, came in the second half when he sprinted into the attack to get on the end of a cross. Freshman midfielder Jordan Torres (Plainville, CT / Plainville HS) was outstanding in the midfield, racking up three assists, including a pair as the corner-kick-taker on Holyoke's first two tallies. Sophomore forward Mahamat Moussa (Springfield, MA / Sudan HS) and freshman midfielder Ben Mahoney (Longmeadow, MA / Longmeadow HS) each potted a goal in the victory and freshman midfielder Owen McKeever (Ware, MA / Ware HS) had an assist. Freshmen Ryder Gallow (Belchertown, MA / Hopkins Academy HS) and Liam Colclough (Wilbraham, MA / Minnechaug Regional HS) shared the goalkeeping duties and the shutout, Gallo making four saves and Colclough making two.
Men's soccer has a 1-3 overall record and a 0-1 regional record. Their next matchup is a regional home game on Tuesday, September 23rd against Northern Essex CC, kickoff slated for 4pm. Let's go Cougars!
Photo: Castro during his freshman season.