FITCHBURG, Mass. – September 7, 2022 -  Junior Juliano Silva (Cumberland, R.I.) scored the game-winning goal in the 68th minute to lift the Dean College men's soccer team to a 2-1 non-conference victory at Fitchburg State under the lights on Wednesday. 
 
Dean (2-1) returns home on Saturday to open Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action against Colby-Sawyer at noon. Fitchburg State (0-2) travels to New England College on Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
The Bulldogs opened the scoring in the 12th minute of action when freshman Brian Allen (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) received a feed from junior Bryce King (Athol, Mass.) and tucked a shot inside the left post for his first collegiate tally for the 1-0 edge.
 
Fitchburg State's best scoring opportunity of the first frame occurred at the 16:58 mark when sophomore Bennett Jorgensen (Cologne, Germany) rifled a free kick from the top of the box on target, but Bulldog keeper Alberto Gonzalez Del Rio (Madrid, Spain) made a leaping play to turn the shot aside and preserve the 1-0 lead going into the break.
 
Following the intermission, Fitchburg State knotted the score at 1-1 in the 66th minute when sophomore Jorge Alvarez (Romulus, Mich.) deposited a shot inside the far post for his first collegiate marker of an assist from classmate Gabriel Teixeira (Lunenburg, Mass.).
 
The Bulldogs regained the lead two minutes later as senior Angel Rivera (Atlanta, Ga.) found Silva in front of the net, who headed a shot into the right side of the net for his first goal of the season, resulting in the 2-1 final.

Gonzalez Del Rio made seven saves for the Bulldogs, while senior Collin Robson (North Billerica, Mass.) stopped 15 shots for the Falcons.

Dean held a 26-9 margin in shots and an 8-1 advantage in corner kicks.