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Vermont beat Hartford in America East men’s soccer on Oct. 6, 3-2.  Vermont is now 2-0 in league play and 5-4-3 overall.  Hartford is 0-1-1 in America East play and 6-5-1 on the season.

Senior forward D.J. Edler scored a goal and earned an assist in the victory at Virtue Field. 

This was his fifth goal of the season, tying his season-high in goals from last year.  He picked up a loose ball in the Hartford defensive end and struck a low shot from the top of the penalty box to the left corner past Hawks’ goalkeeper Viltsu Tuumi to give UVM a 1-0 lead. 

“This was a big game – we talked about it in the locker room,” Edler said. “Coach Jesse had a good pregame talk with us and we knew what was on the line and we came out and protected Virtue Field.”  

Later in the game, Hartford’s Javoni Simms headed in a cross from Mathias Axelsson to tie the score at 1-1. It was Simms’ eighth goal of the year. With just over 20 minutes remaining in the second, Hartford took a 2-1 lead in the 66th minute when sophomore Rohan Roye knocked in another service from Axelsson and a flick from teammate Anthony Santaga.

 The Catamounts answered back 52 seconds later.  Senior Sean Sweeney’s free kick from midfield went to Edler, who knocked the ball to the top of the penalty box where Joe Losier one-timed it into the net.  Losier’s fifth goal of the year tied the game up again 2-2.

 Senior Zach Paul scored the game-winner wih his first goal of the year in the 68th minute.  He struck from just inside the penalty area after a pass from Losier beat Tuumi and gave the Catamounts the 3-2 victory.

“I thought we attacked very well. I thought we created a lot of opportunities, found the right spaces, had good timing,” head coach Jesse Cormier said. “Overall, I was pretty happy with the performance because we were dangerous.”

Vermont outshot the Hawks 20-9. 

The Catamounts are 3-1-1 at Virtue Field this season and Oct. 6 marked the first America East men’s soccer game at the facility.  

Vermont has a road trip for a pair of league games next week, traveling to Boston University on Wednesday, Oct. 10 and Binghamton on Saturday, Oct. 13.