Mohamed Mehaya Scores Twice as Suffolk Takes Down Western New England 2-1

By Tiffany Williams –

Western New England had more shots, more shots on goal and more corner kicks. Suffolk had Mohamed Mehaya, whose two goals proved decisive in a 2-1 men’s soccer victory Saturday at East Boston Memorial Park.

Mohamed Mehaya opened the scoring in the first half and delivered the winner in the second, converting both of Suffolk’s shots on target. Ian Caldwell made three saves at the other end as the Rams withstood Western New England’s greater shooting volume and secured the victory before an announced crowd of 108.

Suffolk improved to 7-3-3 overall and 3-1-1 in conference play. Western New England dropped to 3-5-4 overall and 2-2-2 in the conference after producing 15 shots but finding the net only once.

The Rams struck first at 9:59, when Mohamed Mehaya scored with Dylan Trachtenberg credited with the assist. Suffolk had an early 1-0 advantage, but Western New England needed little time to erase it.

Andrew Macca answered at 13:13 with an unassisted goal, bringing the Golden Bears even at 1-1. Only 3:14 separated the opening goals, leaving both teams with most of the match available to find a winner.

That quick response prevented Suffolk from spending the first half protecting a lead. Instead, the teams remained level through the break, with Western New England holding a slight 7-6 advantage in shots.

Both teams earned two first-half corner kicks. Western New England put two attempts on target during the opening period, scoring on one and forcing Ian Caldwell to save the other, while Suffolk’s lone first-half shot on goal produced Mohamed Mehaya’s opening strike.

The Rams’ finishing was already separating them from their opponent’s shooting totals. Suffolk did not need repeated saves from Brendan L’Italien to threaten the Golden Bears; its first attempt on target went into the net.

Western New England continued producing more shots after halftime, finishing the second period with eight to Suffolk’s five. The Golden Bears also earned three second-half corners to the Rams’ one, but the next goal belonged to Suffolk.

Mohamed Mehaya scored again at 63:58, this time with Dylan Rowe providing the assist. The goal restored Suffolk’s lead at 2-1 and left Western New England with 26:02 to find another equalizer.

The Golden Bears could not produce that second response. Ian Caldwell made two second-half saves, and Suffolk kept Western New England off the scoreboard after Andrew Macca’s early first-half goal.

The result hinged on the difference between generating attempts and converting them. Western New England finished with 15 shots and four on target, while Suffolk recorded 11 shots and only two on goal, both of which became goals.

Mohamed Mehaya finished with three shots, two on target and two goals. He accounted for every Suffolk attempt that reached the goalkeeper and every Rams goal, making his finishing the most consequential individual contribution of the afternoon.

Dylan Trachtenberg and Dylan Rowe supplied an assist apiece without recording a shot. Their contributions helped create the two scoring plays that allowed Suffolk to win despite trailing in the overall shooting categories.

Ford Lee matched Mohamed Mehaya with three shots, although none were on target. Alexander Stone added two attempts, while Luke Blawn, Martin Avila and Lucas Turletti each recorded one.

Those totals show how concentrated Suffolk’s finishing was. The Rams had several players involved in the shooting, but Mohamed Mehaya was the only one to put an attempt on goal, and he made both count.

Western New England’s attempts were spread across a larger group. Saif Shaker led the Golden Bears with three shots, while Ryan Sunshine, Ben Riley and Brady Suomala each recorded two.

Ben Riley put one of his two attempts on target. Jake Thibodeau and Tyler Lewis also recorded a shot on goal apiece, joining Andrew Macca as the four Western New England players who tested Ian Caldwell.

Nick Edward, Owen Dieterle and Nick Adzima each added one shot without putting it on target. Andrew Macca scored on his only attempt, but the Golden Bears could not get a second goal from the rest of their attacking output.

Ian Caldwell played a central role in preserving the result, finishing with three saves against four shots on goal. His two stops after halftime helped protect Suffolk’s position in a half when Western New England again held the shooting advantage.

Brendan L’Italien finished without a save for Western New England, allowing two goals on Suffolk’s two shots on target. That line captures the unforgiving nature of the result: the Rams reached the target twice, and both attempts punished the Golden Bears.

Western New England held a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks, including a 3-1 edge after halftime. Those additional opportunities did not produce the equalizer the visitors needed after Mohamed Mehaya’s second goal.

Suffolk committed 12 fouls to Western New England’s nine, with nine of the Rams’ fouls coming in the second half. The Golden Bears were called for five fouls before halftime and four after the break.

Andrew Macca received a yellow card at 52:27, and Suffolk’s Pablo Loinaz was cautioned at 64:54, less than a minute after the winning goal. The match also included a first-half yellow card at 27:42.

Western New England had answered Suffolk’s first goal almost immediately, but it never found an answer to the second. The Golden Bears’ eight second-half shots produced two attempts on target, both stopped by Ian Caldwell, while the Rams turned their one second-half shot on goal into the winner.

Suffolk finished the afternoon with fewer attempts but the stronger return on its chances. Mohamed Mehaya’s two finishes, the assists from Dylan Trachtenberg and Dylan Rowe, and Ian Caldwell’s three saves gave the Rams the production they needed to turn a closely contested match into a 2-1 victory.