No. 3 Anchormen soccer stride by No. 6 Eastern Connecticut, 3-0, in opening round of LEC Tournament
Tim Yean
Managing Editor
(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) – It was a scary day to be an Eastern Connecticut State University Warrior.
Third-seed Rhode Island College jumpscared sixth-seed Eastern Connecticut with a trio of goals in the first half to secure an easy first-round win in the 2026 Little East Conference Men's Soccer Championship Tournament.
The playoff win came three days after the team’s final regular season match, a scoreless draw against the very same ECSU squad to land the Anchormen the third seed and lock them out of a first-round bye.
Second-year midfielder Randy Vang, classmate forward Moise Augustin and fourth-year midfielder Alijah Nunes each banged in goals for the hosts. First-year goalkeeper Jake Raymond excelled throughout the contest, making four saves in his first career win, doubling as his first playoff victory.
“You got to have that ‘locked-in mindset,’” Raymond said in an interview with RIC Athletics post-match. “It’s funny, but you have to really have that, just focus on one thing at a time.”
A Julian Orellana shot began the attacking fray for the Anchormen. Despite the shot going over the net, the initial strike set in stone a half of RIC firepower. The hosts outshot the visiting Eastern in the first half by nine, 13-4.
Vang converted the first goal of the afternoon in the 10th minute, passing to fellow midfielder Donovan Calle, with the first-year sending the ball right back to the Cranston native, sliding the shot past third-year Warrior goalkeeper Jack Harmon.
It would be the fourth goal of the season for Vang and the third in his last two home matches for RIC, following up a two-goal performance in the team’s 6-2 win over Vermont State University Castleton on Oct. 24.
A little under six minutes later, RIC found paydirt again. First-year midfielder Donovan Calle found second-year forward Moise Augustin, who rushed down the middle of the field. An aggressive Harmon came too late to the ball, and Augustin lofted the ball over for Anchormen goal number two.
A 20-minute frame of no scoring between the two rosters, that included two of Jake Raymond’s four saves of the Halloween matchup, finally broke again when fourth-year midfielder Alijah Nunes bumped in his third goal of the year off a soaring free-kick assist from first-year defender Marco Hoxholli.
Following the third goal, the Anchormen continued to pelt the Eastern defense with an array of looks, firing in seven opportunities to the Warriors’ zero. Jack Harmon held his own between the third RIC cash-in and the end of the first half, notching three of his four total saves in the hammering period.
Opening the second half, third-year midfielder Joe Kelly was fouled just inside the penalty box in the 54th minute. The following penalty kick, a right-footed, low-driving shot, was saved off a quick dive by Harmon, who would make his fourth and final goal of the afternoon.
The Warrior offense found more breathing room throughout the second stanza, finding nine striking opportunities, two more than the Anchormen. Jake Raymond would fend off the attacks twice, with a leaping, one-handed save on a skied header in the 76th minute and a secure save on a grounded header in the 85th minute to confirm the clean sheet and call it a job well done for the day, as he, alongside other key starters, would be subbed out as RIC deployed its reserves for the final minutes.
The next round for the Anchormen sees the squad face off against the first-seeded University of Massachusetts Boston, a contest in the regular season that concluded in a 0-0 draw versus the reigning LEC champ Beacons. The Anchormen this time around will be the visitors, and will hope to give UMass Boston a frightening matchup.
“[We’ve] just got to give it to them, and if we do what we did tonight, we’ll be fine all the way,” Raymond said.
That aforementioned second-round matchup will take place Wednesday, Nov. 4 at noon.
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