PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior
Walter Driscoll (Kittery Point, Maine) tallied a goal and an assist to lead the Plymouth State University men's soccer team to a 2-1 win over Vermont State University Castleton in a key Little East Conference match at Arold Field on Saturday afternoon.
After a scoreless first half, Driscoll fought through traffic and left his feet to drive home a header off a corner kick in the 54th minute. The Spartans answered back within seven minutes, but Driscoll's header in the 73rd minute would find the foot of senior
Faisal Abdallah (Accra, Ghana), who flicked the ball into the bottom right corner for the game winner.
Plymouth State improves to 5-6-2 (2-2-1 LEC), while the Spartans go to 4-6-3 (1-4-0 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 2, VTSU Castleton 1
- Plymouth State (5-6-2, 2-2-1 LEC)
- VTSU Castleton (4-6-3, 1-4-0 LEC)
How it Happened:
- Senior Nicolas Cornejo Mora (Durham, N.H.) made a huge save in the 15th minute when a long pass led to a breakaway for the Spartans. He held his ground at the six, then went to the ground to deny the blast to his left to keep the game scoreless.
- The Panthers had a near miss in the 34th minute as sophomore Hunter Holland (Hampton, N.H.) delivered a beautiful ball into the box. Classmate Lucas Houghton (Ridgefield, Wash.) attempted a volley but the shot drifted just over the crossbar.
- Perhaps PSU's best chance in the opening half came in the 41st minute when Driscoll created space in the left corner before chipping a cross just in front of the goal. Senior Sondre Asheim (Klepp, Norway) got a head on the ball, but the Spartans' goalkeeper was able to tip it over the bar.
- Plymouth State took the lead in the 54th minute. Asheim delivered a corner kick to the front of the goal and Driscoll flew in from the right side to get past his defender for a diving header.
- The lead didn't last for long as VTSU Castleton pulled even in the 61st minute. An initial shot from 35 yards out was blocked to the corner of the box, where a Spartans' forward settled, turned and fired to the top corner.
- PSU went back in front in the 73rd minute as Driscoll's header found Abdallah, who was able to sneak a shot past the Spartans' goalie and into the bottom right corner to make it 2-1.
- Cornejo Mora made one final big save, when a Spartans' forward tried to volley a flicked ball, but the senior was easily able to corral the shot and the Panthers held on for the key 2-1 win.
By the Numbers:
- Driscoll's three points were the most since recording a hat trick in a win at Fisher a year ago.
- Abdallah's goal was his eighth of the year and his second game-winner. His eight tallies lead the league.
- Cornejo Mora finished with three saves.
- Plymouth State fired 13 shots to the Spartans' seven.
- The Panthers earned seven corner kicks, while holding VTSU Castleton to two.
- Plymouth State had been 1-7-1 in the last nine meetings.
- The Spartans hold a 9-5-1 edge in the series.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State gears up for a big week with two more league games on the slate. The Panthers host Keene State on Wednesday (Oct. 16) at 3:00 p.m., before heading to Eastern Connecticut State for a noon contest on Saturday (Oct. 19).
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