Manchester, NH – A goal in the third minute from sophomore
Cesar Chavez was all it would take, as the Molloy men's soccer team kicked off 2026 with a 1-0 victory over the Saint Anselm Hawks at Melucci Field. The victory marked the first for Head Coach
John Fitzgerald.
How it Happened
- The first chance of the afternoon found the back of the net for the Lions in the third minute. Following a foul, sophomore Jack Veletanga sent in a free kick into the 18-yard box and connected with Chavez to put the Lions on the board, 1-0.
- Over the next 18 minutes of action, the cardinal and white generated three consecutive scoring chances as senior Diego Cadena, Chavez, and Veletanga all put shots on goal that would be saved by Hawks goalkeeper David Hood.
- In the 24th minute, Saint Anselm put together a scoring chance that saw a shot go off the right post, keeping the Lions in front.
- With five minutes to play in the first half, senior Wilmer Flores fired a shot from straight away, but a save was made, sending the contest into halftime.
- 2:54 into the second half, St. Anselm forward Zachary Mantegari tested junior Callum Hunt, but the Molloy netminder would make the save to preserve the lead.
- Hunt would once again be challenged in the 56th minute, but made another save to keep the Lions in control.
- After keeping the cardinal and white without a shot on goal in the second half, Saint Anselm generated one final chance with 1:27 remaining on the clock. Hunt, however, was up to the task, denying the game's final shot to secure the Lions 1-0 victory.
Top Performances
- Chavez netted his first career goal while leading the squad with three shots and two shots on goal.
- Veletanga added an assist.
- In goal, Hunt made three saves to earn a clean sheet.
Up Next
Molloy returns to the pitch Wednesday, September 2 for a road contest at Caldwell beginning at 3:00 p.m.
