WPI 4, Elms 0

Box Score                

Worcester, MA --- Senior Tommy Zajac (Merrimack, NH) scored WPI's first home penalty kick goal in almost a year and assisted on two others in the first half to lead the Engineers to a 4-0 win over Elms at WPI's Alumni Field on Wednesday evening. With the win, the Engineers move to 8-2 on the season, while Elms drops to 2-7.

Zajac's goal at 22:49, giving WPI a 1-0 lead, was his fourth of the season and the first for WPI on a penalty kick at alumni Field since October 25, 2008, when first-team ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American Ben Gilde scored on a penalty in a 3-1 win over Westfield State.

Less than five minutes later, the senior set up Thomas Cucinotta (Easton, MA) for his first goal of the season. Zajac sent a free kick into the box where Cucinotta found it and headed it into the back of the net for a 2-0 Engineers lead. Zajac also set up the Crimson and Gray's third goal on a fast break, feeding Jason Hopkins (Mendon, MA) for his team-leading 10th goal of the year at the 39:21 mark.

The Engineers tacked on a fourth goal just after halftime, when Matthew Gonsalves (Swansea, MA) took a Mike Ford (Whitman, MA) pass from 30 yards out and delivered his second goal of the season and a 4-0 WPI lead.

WPI rebounded from suffering a late 1-0 loss to NEWMAC rival Springfield on Saturday. Twelve different Engineers registered a shot as WPI outshot the Blazers 18-w. Cucinotta led the hosts with five shots. WPI keeper Kirk Dragsbaek (Sherborn, MA) made one save en route to earning the win.  The junior is now 3-0 on the year.

Elms goalkeeper Ryan Sullivan (Agawam, MA) made seven saves for the Blazers. Tavish Leland (Bridgton, ME) and Sam Senecal (Chicopee, MA) picked up the Blazers' two shots.

Both teams return to action on Saturday with conference road matches. WPI ventures to Cambridge to face MIT in a 5pm NEWMAC contests while Elms heads to Nashua for a 1pm NECC tilt.

Story by Ray Cotrufo - WPI Athletics Correspondent