PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Plymouth State University men's soccer team tied the Rhode Island College Anchormen, 1-1, in a Little East Conference (LEC) battle on Alumni Field Saturday afternoon.
The scoreline did not indicate what turned out to be a high-octane clash, which saw 40 combined shots, 22 corner kicks, 19 saves, and six yellow cards in the heated LEC rivalry game.
Plymouth State threw everything but the kitchen sink at its opponents, forcing 14 Anchormen saves and bringing waves of pressure throughout the match, yet the Panthers found themselves down 1-0 through 88 minutes of play.
It wasn't until the 89th minute, with 75 seconds to play, that the Panthers were able to break through as senior
Faisal Abdallah (Pembroke, N.H.) received a pass from sophomore
Job Boonstoppel (Amstelveen, Netherlands), turned quickly, and bent a scorcher into the top left side netting to earn a point for the Panthers.
Sophomore
Parker Spaulding (Barre, Vt.) recorded five saves in the effort.
Plymouth State goes to 2-1-3 (0-1-1 LEC) on the season, as Rhode Island College now sits at 4-2-2 (0-1-1 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 1, Rhode Island College 1
- Plymouth State (2-1-3, 0-1-1 LEC)
- Rhode Island College (4-2-2, 0-1-1 LEC)
How it Happened:
- It was all Panthers early, outshooting RIC 8-2 in the first 20 minutes of play.
- Plymouth State continued to put the Anchormen's back line under pressure throughout the first half as the teams found themselves tied 0-0 heading into the locker room.
- Rhode Island College struck first in the 62nd minute, as a RIC player went to the ground in the box, coaxing the referee to award a penalty that was converted to go up 1-0.
- Plymouth State did not hesitate to keep the pedal to the floor, holding RIC to only two shots through the remainder of play, and pushing to score an equalizer.
- In the waning moments of the game, Abdallah blasted his late goal in the 89th minute to level the match at 1-1, where the score would remain at full time.
By the Numbers:
- PSU outshot the Anchormen 23-17 in the contest.
- Both teams recorded 11 corner kicks.
- Shots on goal were in Plymouth State's favor, 15-6.
- The Anchormen's goalkeeper recorded 14 saves.
- Abdallah has now recorded points in four of PSU's six games this season.
- This was the second straight draw for the Panthers against the Anchormen who are perennially in LEC championship contention.
- The Panthers hold a 20-16-5 record in the head-to-head matchup dating back to 1986.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State will continue LEC play on Wednesday (Sept. 27) as the team returns home to face the University of Southern Maine Huskies. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Arold Field.
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