NASHUA, N.H. – The Plymouth State University men's soccer team was defeated by the Rivier University Raiders, 4-0, in a non-conference matchup at Joanne Merrill Field on Tuesday night.
Despite controlling much of the momentum in the first half, Plymouth State went down 2-0 at halftime. A ten-minute flurry by the Raiders was rewarded with goals in the 14th and 23rd minutes of play. Rivier got two insurance goals in the second half to put the game out of reach.
Seniors
Sondre Asheim (Klepp, Norway) and
Faisal Abdallah (Accra, Ghana) combined for six of the 15 Plymouth State shots, including two that hit the woodwork in the run of play.
Plymouth State falls to 1-2-0 on the season, while the Raiders improve to 1-0-1.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 0, Rivier 4
- Plymouth State (1-2-0)
- Rivier (1-0-1)
How it Happened:
- The Panthers came out fast, dictating pace and showing promise in the offensive third of the field.
- Rivier opened with the first goal of the match in the 14th minute on a counterattack which found space up the left side and crossed into the middle of the box. The Raider striker finished on a one-time shot past the goalkeeper's diving right hand.
- Minutes later, the Raiders doubled the advantage (2-0) on a rifled shot that found the back of the net in the 23rd minute.
- Plymouth State poured on the pressure trying to get onto the scoreboard to close out the first half, including a shot that clanked off the crossbar with under three minutes to play, but the Raiders held onto the 2-0 advantage at the midway mark.
- Rivier opened the second half with a medley of shots and pressure, but the Panther defensive front was able to weather the storm and keep its opponent from adding onto the lead.
- The Raiders smashed home their third goal in the 68th minute on a left-footed rocket that bent into the top right corner from well outside the box to put Rivier up 3-0.
- As the Panthers pushed numbers forward in a comeback attempt, Rivier managed to put home its final tally in the 84th minute to close out the victory.
By the Numbers:
- Rivier outshot the Panthers 19-15 in the contest.
- Shots on goal went to the Raiders, 12-6.
- Plymouth State registered six corner kicks, to four for the Raiders.
- The Panthers hold a 5-2-0 lifetime head-to-head advantage over Rivier University dating back to the teams' first matchup in 1997.
Up Next:
- The Panthers will travel to Castine, Maine for a matchup against the Maine Maritime Academy Mariners in a rare morning contest on Saturday (Sep 7). Kickoff is set for 9:30 a.m. on Ritchie Field.
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