Flash Points: 

• Mario Mastrangelo (Venetia, Pa/Peters Township) scored his second goal of the season
• Francis de Vries (Christchurch, New Zealand/Cashmere) netted his first goal of the year
• SFU outshot Howard 27-4

LORETTO, PA- Mario Mastrangelo (Venetia, Pa/Peters Township) redirected a Tulio Canineu (Corbin, Ky/Corbin) cross and Saint Francis controlled the match in a 2-0 shutout of Howard in the Red Flash's non-conference finale. 

Saint Francis came out on the attack early but could not find the net in the first half. SFU out shot Howard 14-1 in the first 45 including 5-0 in shots on goal but could not beat keeper Kenneth Hersey. The Red Flash's best chances all match long came off crosses and corner kicks, SFU had six set pieces in the first half. Renan Fuentes (Sao Paolo, Brazil/Colegio Joao XXIII) had the best chance, late in the first half, Fuentes got a loose ball of a free kick and looked to bury it into the low right corner. Hersey came barreling out of the net and made a terrific kick save. On the ensuing corner kick, Francis de Vries (Christchurch, New Zealand/Cashmere) header was blocked away and would be the last good chance for either team in the half. 

SFU got on the scoreboard early in the second half, scoring in the 52nd minute. Tulio Canineu (Corbin, Ky/Corbin) made a strong run up the far side of the field and crossed the ball into the box. Mastrangelo was able to get free from his defender and re-direct the ball into the upper left corner of the net and past a diving Hersey to make it 1-0. For Mastrangelo, it was his second goal of the season. After the goal, the Flash kept attacking. Nick Hanuscin (Cinnaminson, N.J./Bishop Eustace) had a pair of scoring chances in the second half but was denied by impressive saves by Hersey both times.  de Vries made it 2-0 in the 80th minute as he bent a free kick around the wall and snuck it into the top right corner of the net. The strike from about 25 yards out was the senior's first goal of the year. 

Saint Francis nearly made it 3-0 minutes later as off a cornern kick Stefan Sjekloca (Belgrade, Serbia/Fryeburg Academy) headed a ball destined for the top shelf but Hersey got a hand on it and deflected it over the net. All told, Saint Francis put 14 of their 27 shots on target in Tuesday's match. Defensively, the Flash surrendered just four shots and Marcus Rojas (Fremont, Calif./Bellarmine College Preparatory) made one save. Howard made a few pushes offensively in the match but their best chances were headed wide thanks to strong defensive pressure. For Rojas, he picks up his seventh win of the season and his fifth clean sheet as Saint Francis improved to 7-4-0 with the victory while Howard falls to 1-9-3. 

Tuesday's match closes out the non-conference portion of the schedule as Northeast Conference play starts on Sunday. Saint Francis will head to Sacred Heart to take on the Pioneers in the NEC Opener. Match time on Sunday is set for noon.