PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Junior
Faisal Abdallah (Concord, N.H.) scored a pair of goals but Castleton University slipped past Plymouth State University, 4-3, with less than a minute to play in a Little East Conference (LEC) men's soccer contest at Arold Field on Saturday.
Abdallah gave the hosts an early lead in the 10th minute, but Castleton responded just 82 seconds later to tie the game. Sophomore
August Westerholm (Stockholm, Sweden) restored the PSU advantage in the 24th minute, but once again the visitors responded as the game went into the break deadlocked at 2-2.
The Spartans pulled ahead in the 55th minute, but Abdallah netted the equalizer in the 82nd minute and Plymouth State pressed for the go-ahead goal. Castleton got past the PSU defense on a counterattack to score with 42 seconds left as the Spartans earned the win.
Plymouth State slips to 4-6-3 (1-4-2 LEC), while the Spartans move to 4-7-2 (2-3-1 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, Castleton 4
- Plymouth State (4-6-3, 1-4-2 LEC)
- Castleton (4-7-2, 2-3-1 LEC)
How it Happened:
- Plymouth State controlled play through the opening ten minutes but was unable to get one past the Castleton goalkeeper.
- The Panthers broke through on Abdallah's first goal of the afternoon in the 10th minute. Sophomore David Nilsson (Karlstad, Sweden) sent a long cross from the left side to Westerholm at the right side of the box. Westerholm's blast was off target, but sophomore Ethan Bryce (Seymour, Conn.) collected the ball at the left side and centered to Abdallah for the easy goal.
- Castleton pulled even just 82 seconds later after a misplayed ball led to a 2-on-1 with the Panthers' goalkeeper and the visitors tied the game.
- Abdallah nearly had another score in the 22nd minute after making a pair of moves to create space, but his shot just missed the top left corner.
- PSU took the lead two minutes later when Abdallah sent a cross to Westerholm, who cut around a defender before firing a shot to the bottom left for the 2-1 lead.
- The Spartans tied the game in the 43rd minute when a free kick landed in a scrum in front of the goal and a Castleton player was able to poke it in.
- The visitors pulled ahead in the 55th minute.
- Looking for the equalizer, Bryce fired a shot to the corner from 20-yards out in the 70th minute, but the Castleton goalie made a diving save.
- Junior Jacob Santos (Anacortes, Wash.) chipped a ball to the six, but Westerholm's diving header hit the left post.
- Freshman Lucas Hollingworth (Akersberga, Sweden) touched the ball into the box from the right side where Abdallah buried it to knot the game at 3-3 with just eight minutes left.
- The Panthers continued the heavy pressure with four shots over the next few minutes but were unable to pull ahead.
- Castleton answered on a counterattack and a cross found a pair of Spartans open at the back post for the game-winning goal with just 42 seconds on the clock.
By the Numbers:
- Abdallah's two scores give him a team-best seven on the season, a mark that is tied for the second-most in the LEC.
- Westerholm's tally was his second of the year.
- Plymouth State outshot the Spartans by a 35-18 margin.
- Abdallah fired 13 shots in the game.
- Junior Nicolas Cornejo (Durham, N.H.) made three saves in the setback.
- Castleton has won the last four meetings, with each of the last two decided by a single goal.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State hosts Fitchburg State on Tuesday (Oct. 18) in a non-conference match on Senior Day. Opening kick is set for 3:00 p.m.
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