Men’s soccer (3-2-1) continued their dominant run of form against Stonehill (3-5-1) Saturday, scoring five goals to beat the Skyhawks in a rainy eight-goal thriller — Bruno’s second five-goal performance in one week.
Bruno scored their first win of the season the prior Tuesday against Boston University. Slamming home five goals in the first half alone and preserving a clean sheet up until a BU consolation in the 90th minute, the Bears looked like a destructive force.
“We have dangerous and talented attacking players,” Head Coach Chase Wileman told The Herald. “I am happy that they are now getting rewarded for the hard work they put into their training.”
Sophomore forward and 2023-24 All-Ivy Honorable Mention Lorenzo Amaral ’27 scored two goals and an assist that helped the Bears glide past the Terriers to claim victory.
“These past two games have been great offensively for us,” Amaral wrote in a message to The Herald. “It feels like we flipped a switch offensively as our attacking play has been very fluid and effective.”
After dropping the Skyhawks 5-3, the Bears proved that they have no interest in giving up this early streak.
However, no game is perfect. While the Bears were dominant in the open play, they struggled to defend set-pieces. After a save by Henrik Weiper ’26 kept the Skyhawks out, Stonehill employed a short corner routine, splitting the Bears backline and allowing a free header to send Bruno down 1-0 early.
While Stonehill held an early lead over Bruno, an effective mid-block kept them mostly neutralized in possession. It was only a matter of time before Bruno got their equalizer.
Stonehill’s poor clearance led to midfielder James Snaith ’28 winning back possession outside the box. He took an electric effort, which slotted itself kindly in the far post to earn Snaith his first goal at Brown.
Though Bruno mostly warded off threats throughout the first half, they made a few mistakes. In the 24th minute, a rocket free kick deflected off of the Bears’ wall and beat Weiper to give Stonehill their lead back.
“The goals we conceded were disappointing but they are not systematic errors,” Wileman wrote. “Sometimes it’s just a bit of luck for them on a deflection or a foul we didn’t have to give away.”
From there on out, it was the Dylan Ellis ’26 and Amaral show. The duo contributed to four of Bruno’s goals.
“I think for any of the guys on the team anytime you step on the pitch the main goal is always, make an impact on the game,” Ellis wrote. “I’m just really glad I was able to come in and help contribute to the win.”
Ellis — who scored the match winner against Stonehill last year — most definitely assisted, putting up two goal contributions.
“I can't say that there's anything about Stonehill specifically, I think anytime I come on the field I’m looking to try and be a part of a goal and was fortunate enough in both years to get some really good opportunities,” he wrote.
Ellis and Amaral initially linked up late in the first half, as some impressive possession play from Ellis gave the Bears a three-on-one attacking advantage. Ellis made a selfless pass to Amaral, whose clinical touch-and-finish got Bruno back level with the Skyhawks nearly 30 minutes into the game.
But the Bears were by no means content with a draw. Amaral featured again, passing the ball to Snaith, who rifled a shot at the Skyhawks net. The keeper made a good initial save, but the ball bounced around freely until Ellis came in to finish off the attack.
The Bears entered the second half up 3-2, an already satisfying five-goal affair for soccer fans who were in for even more of Amaral’s magic.
After a stellar free kick from the Skyhawks, their equalizer, Bruno got hungry for more.
In the 58th minute, Amaral drove down the side and found Mads Stistrup Petersen ’26.5 in space. Stistrup Petersen put in a beautiful cross, which sailed right into the center of the box for the waiting Carlo Brown ’27 to slot in from point blank range.
Late in the match, the Bears put the Skyhawks at arm's length when an Amaral corner kick found itself in the six-yard box to be poked home by defender Harri Sprofera ’25.
Amaral was “really happy” with his performance.
“It’s always good to get on the scoresheet and contribute toward a winning result. I give credit to the whole team for our performance, their work contributed to my performance that night and made my job easier,” he wrote.
The Stonehill win makes back-to-back five-goal games for Bruno’s attack. The team is looking to carry forward this momentum as they approach Ivy Play on the 28th.
But just before that, Bears fans should tune into Tuesday night’s matchup against Providence College to see if the Bears can grab their first away win of the season. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Dennis Carey is a Sports editor who enjoys playing volleyball, listening to and collecting vinyl records and poorly playing the guitar in his spare time.
