PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Freshman goalkeeper
Christa Giansiracusa (Tewksbury, Mass.) made six saves, but Plymouth State University was overcome by two-time Little East Conference (LEC) defending champions the University of Southern Maine, 6-1, in LEC women's soccer action at Arold Field on Wednesday afternoon.
The Huskies, ranked seventh in this week's United Soccer Coaches Region I poll, scored three first half goals to maintain a comfortable advantage. Junior
Nevaeh Petruzzi (Newmarket, N.H.) put the Panthers on the board on a volley from a corner kick delivered by junior
Olivia Howard (Berwick, Maine), but USM closed the contest with three more tallies to account for the final score..
USM is unbeaten in its last 15 games against LEC opponents, including back-to-back runs through the LEC Tournament.
Plymouth State was playing in its
Breast Cancer Awareness game. The Panthers wore pink jerseys to support breast cancer research.
PSU dips to 3-6-0 (0-3-0 LEC), while the Huskies improve to 7-2-1 (3-0-0 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 1, Southern Maine 6
- Plymouth State (3-6-0, 0-3-0 LEC)
- Southern Maine (7-2-1, 3-0-0 LEC)
How it Happened:
- The Panthers hung tough through the opening 30 minutes as most of the play was found in the midfield and the Huskies found it difficult to penetrate the Plymouth State back line.
- Southern Maine broke through in the 32nd minute to go up 1-0, finally breaking through the stingy Panther defense.
- The Huskies applied late pressure scoring two goals in the final five minutes of the first half to give themselves a 3-0 halftime advantage.
- Plymouth Sate came out with nothing to lose, setting the tone for the second half that paid off when Petruzzi buried a right-foot volley off a corner kick to close the gap to 3-1 in the 53rd minute.
- The defending champions responded by putting away the final three goals of the game to seal the victory.
By the Numbers:
- USM outshot the Panthers 20-5.
- Shots on goal were in the Huskies' favor 12-3.
- The Panthers recorded three corner kicks to eight for USM.
- PSU holds a commanding 15-6-0 record at home against the Huskies dating back to 1986.
- Plymouth State leads the all-time series 24-14-1, though USM has won five of the last six meetings.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State hosts WestConn for a Homecoming LEC matchup on Saturday (Oct. 5). Kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. At halftime, the program will recognize its alumnae as part of a Tradition of Champions event.
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