PLYMOUTH, N.H. – The Plymouth State University men's soccer team fell to the University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons, 3-0, in a Little East Conference (LEC) match at Arold Field on Saturday. The loss eliminates the Panthers from postseason play.
With less than ten minutes to play and trailing 2-0, the Panthers were stonewalled on a penalty kick opportunity that could have cut the deficit to 2-1 and perhaps sparked a late comeback. The Beacons used the key save to create momentum for an insurance goal to close out the game.
Sophomore defender
Rowan McCarthy (Pepperell, Mass.) led the Panthers with two of the team's six shots on goal.
Plymouth State falls to 4-11-1 (1-5-1 LEC), while the Beacons improve to 9-3-4 (4-1-2 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 0, UMass Boston 3
- Plymouth State (4-11-1, 1-5-1 LEC)
- UMass Boston (9-3-4, 4-1-2 LEC)
How it Happened:
- The Beacons sent a warning shot across the bow in the 8th minute, nearly taking an early advantage, but junior goalkeeper Kole Matta (Castleton, Vt.) was equal to the task, turning the ball away for his first save of the game.
- UMB didn't wait long, capitalizing on the next opportunity just 40 seconds later to put home the first goal of the game and take a 1-0 lead early.
- Plymouth State commanded the remaining first half opportunities outshooting its LEC counterpart 5-3 after the Beacons' goal but could not find the back of the net as the Panthers trailed 1-0 at the half.
- The Panthers pounced on UMB straight from kickoff as sophomore Colby Cowan (Oakdale, Conn.) rifled a shot tracking towards the top of the goal, but the Beacon goalkeeper managed to tip the shot over the bar.
- UMass Boston doubled the lead to 2-0 on a corner kick which curled directly into the goal.
- The Panthers were given a spark of hope in the 83rd minute as the team gained a penalty opportunity. The UMass Boston goalkeeper dove to his right and made a strong save to turn the kick away and keep the Panthers off the board.
- In a momentum shift after the penalty save, the Beacons countered up field and buried their third goal of the afternoon to put the game away.
By the Numbers:
- The Beacons outshot Plymouth State by a 14-10 margin.
- Shots on goal were in the Beacons' favor, 9-6.
- The Panthers registered 4 corner kicks to 7 for the Beacons.
- Each team forced six saves from the opposing goalkeeper.
- Plymouth State controls the series, 23-12-7, dating back to 1986, though the Panthers' last win in the series came in 2015.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State wraps up the regular season at home against Southern Maine on Wednesday (Oct. 29) at 3 p.m.
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