CASTINE, Maine – The Plymouth State University men's soccer team defeated the Maine Maritime Academy Mariners, 2-1, in a non-conference matchup at Ritchie Field on Saturday morning.
After a scoreless first half, the Panthers wasted no time to get on the scoreboard in the 48th minute when senior
John Christie (Pembroke, Mass.) collected a ball served in from junior
Massimo Korcsog (Ottawa, Ontario) on his thigh and volleyed home a blast off the crossbar and into the goal.
The Mariners tied the game at 1-1 in the 69th minute off a corner kick, but Plymouth State answered immediately with a goal from senior
Ethan Bryce (Seymour, Conn.) in the 72nd minute. Senior
Nolan McMann (Millville, Mass.) recorded the assist on what would prove to be the game-winner.
Senior
Nicolas Cornejo Mora (Durham, N.H.) registered six saves, including two massive stops at the end of the first half to keep the Mariners from scoring the first goal.
Plymouth State improves to 2-2-0 on the season, while the Mariners fall to 0-2-1.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 2, Maine Maritime 1
- Plymouth State (2-2-0)
- Maine Maritime (0-2-1)
How it Happened:
- The competitors found themselves in a midfield battle for the first fifteen minutes of play as each team managed two shots, none of which landed on target.
- Momentum started to push towards Plymouth State, recording six straight shots as the team pushed for the first goal of the contest
- The Mariners countered by closing out the first half with five straight shots of their own, but Cornejo Mora rose to the task to keep MMA off the scoreboard. The match produced a 0-0 scoreline through the first half of play.
- Plymouth State took a 1-0 lead three minutes into the second half on a wonderfully controlled touch off the thigh from Christie and a volley that rocketed off the crossbar and bounced down over the endline.
- The Mariners tied the game at 1-1 in the 69th minute off a corner kick swung in from the right side.
- The Panthers wasted no time to re-gain the lead (2-1) in the 72nd minute. A quick combination passing down the right side of the field found the right foot of Bryce who rifled a shot too strong for the goalkeeper in the eventual game winner.
By the Numbers:
- Plymouth State outshot the Mariners 19-12 in the contest.
- Shots on goal were in the Panthers favor, 9-7.
- Each team registered five corner kicks on the morning.
- PSU forced seven saves from Maine Maritime to the Panthers' six.
- This was the first meeting between the two schools.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State will end its four-game road trip at Salem State on Wednesday (Sep 11). The match will kick off at 4 p.m. on Alumni field in Salem, Mass.
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