DANBURY, Conn. - A pair of first-half goals, by Harrison Allers (Wilton, Conn.) and Franz Muhaj (Bridgeport, Conn.) was all the Western Connecticut State University men's soccer team needed to defeat visiting University of Massachusetts Dartmouth at the Westside Athletic Complex on Tuesday night. 

WestConn, the tournament's third seed, are now 16-5 and advance to the Little East Conference semifinals at University of Massachusetts Boston on Thursday, November 4.  A start time has not been announced by the Beacons' staff.

At the 12:14 mark, Allers scored his first goal of the season following a throw in down the left side from Kent Eannarino (Brookfield, Conn.).  The Corsairs' defense was caught flat footed and Allers was virtually alone in front of the visitors net.

Early in the 20th minute, Muhaj was led down the left side with an angling pass from Allers.  The sophomore forward deposited his team-leading 12th goal of the season and gave the host a much-needed insurance marker.

Senior Daniel Szabo (Trumbull, Conn.) made three saves and recorded his fifth clean sheet of the season.

Jacob Castro (Swansea, Mass.) made five stops and faced 19 shots on Tuesday.

WestConn has appeared in the LEC semifinals 10 times since the league began sponsoring a tournament championship in 2000.  It has moved on to the second round in each of head coach Joe Mingachos' five years at the helm of the program he was an All-American from 1986 to 1989.  He has now amassed an impressive 364-122-36 record over 24 years, including 19 very successful campaigns as WestConn's Head Women's Soccer Coach.

WestConn defeated UMD, 4-0 back on October 16 to cap off a seven-game win streak.   After a pair of losses to Trinity College (1-0) and the Beacons (4-2), WestConn has now run off three straight victories down the stretch.