SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - After a scoreless opening frame, junior Matt Cotnoir (Longmeadow, Mass.) scored a goal with just six minutes into the second half to give visiting Curry College men's soccer team the only goal it would need as the Colonels defeated Western New England University, 2-0 on Saturday afternoon on Suprenant Field in a Commonwealth Coast Conference game.

Western New England, 9-7-3 overall and 2-4-2 in conference play, had three opportunities in the first seven minutes of the game, but strong defensive play by the Colonel defense kept the game scoreless. Senior Nick Gilman (Longmeadow, Mass.) had a good chance to score in the first half for Curry, but WNE' sophomore goalie Kevin Strobel (Rockland, Mass.) made the first of his five saves in the game to deny him.

Curry, now 9-8-1 overall and 3-5 in the CCC, got three early shots at the start of the second half and finally broke the ice at 51:23 on Cotnoir's eighth goal of the season with an assist from junior Ronaldo Montero (Norwalk, Conn.). The Colonels put the game away at the 71:42 mark on an unassisted breakaway goal by Montero, his third of the season.

Western New England outshot Curry 20-15 (8-7 on goal), but the Colonels sophomore goaltender Dan Johnson (Easton, Conn.) made eight saves to preserve the shutout.

The Golden Bears will be back in action on Wednesday at Salve Regina in Newport, R.I. for the final regular season game.  Curry will host the University of New England on Tuesday in the Colonels final regular season match.  (Game Recap Courtesy of Western New England Sports Information)