Armskog scores as Panthers battle to the end

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Junior Erik Armskog (Gothenburg, Sweden) scored his team-leading third goal of the season, but Plymouth State University fell to Little East Conference (LEC) opponent #23 Eastern Connecticut State University, 2-1, in a men's soccer contest Saturday afternoon at Arold Field.

            The Warriors, ranked in the latest D3soccer.com poll, held a 1-0 lead going into halftime. Plymouth State was able to even the score in the second half on Armskog's goal, but Eastern Connecticut netted the game-winner in the 81st minute to secure the win.

            Plymouth State's season comes to an end with a 1-11-3 record and 0-6-2 mark in the LEC. Eastern Connecticut finishes the regular season at an impressive 16-2-0 and the Warriors' 7-1-0 conference mark earns them the outright LEC regular season title and top seed for next week's LEC Tournament.

            The Basics:

            Plymouth State 1, Eastern Connecticut 2

            Plymouth State (1-11-3, 0-6-2 LEC)

            Eastern Connecticut (16-2-0, 7-1-0 LEC)

            How it Happened:

• Eastern Connecticut started the scoring early, recording a goal within the first five minutes of the match. Sophomore Will Toomey (Willington, Conn.) took a shot that was initially saved, but the ball trickled out of the goalkeeper's grasp and freshman Andrés Mayuri (West Hartford, Conn.) put away the rebound.
• It looked like PSU had tied the game in the first half when a shot by Armskog went into the net, but the Panthers were called for offsides.
• Plymouth State came out of the halftime break looking to even the score. In the 66th minute, sophomore Teddy McLaughlin (Wakefield, R.I.) sent a looping pass from just over midfield to Armskog who was running into the box. After receiving the pass he fired a shot that found the back of the net.
• In the 81st minute the Warriors regained the lead when sophomore Patrick Agyemang (East Hartford, Conn.) received a pass inside the box from junior Jake Pendl (Cromwell, Conn.) and converted the shot.

            Inside the Numbers:

• Junior goalkeeper Linus Lindeberg (Stockholm, Sweden) recorded four saves for the Panthers, while his counterpart, junior Kyle Boutot (Tolland, Conn.) had two saves.
• Armskog finishes the year tied with sophomore Ryan Brown (Milton, Vt.) for the team lead in goals (three), assists (three) and points (nine).
• Lindeberg wraps up his season with a 2.12 goals against average and .690 save percentage in 1145 minutes.
• The game marked the final contest in the careers of seniors Joni Hongisto (Kaarina, Finland), Jackie Gorton (Bristol, Vt.), Mauricio Acevedo (Nashua, N.H.), Owen Caggiano (Sandwich, Mass.), Cam Bunn (Melbourne, Australia) and Marc Herrington (Chelmsford, England).
• Eastern Connecticut held an 8-3 shot advantage, including a 6-3 edge in shots on goal.
• The Warriors also held a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks.

            Straight from the Coach's Mouth:

            "I'm pleased with the commitment that the team gave us day in and day out," head coach Rob Wright stated after the match. "It was nice to see the injured seniors be able to get out there and play one last time."

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