DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Senior
Piper Sullivan (Laconia, N.H.) headed home a corner kick in the 52nd minute to give Plymouth State University the lead, but the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth scored three times in a nine-minute span to rally for a 3-1 win in a Little East Conference (LEC) women's soccer match at Cressy Field on Saturday.
Following a scoreless first half, Sullivan worked free from a defender and headed a corner kick from sophomore
Islah Godo (Topsham, Maine) into the top-right corner to put the Panthers ahead.
UMass Dartmouth responded less than three minutes later to even the score, then took the lead in the 59th minute. The hosts added an insurance goal in the 61st minute, and Plymouth State was unable to rally.
Plymouth State falls to 9-5-0 (1-5-0 LEC), while the Corsairs improve to 4-7-2 (2-4-1 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 1, UMass Dartmouth 3
- Plymouth State (9-5-0, 1-5-0 LEC)
- UMass Dartmouth (4-7-2, 2-4-1 LEC)
How it Happened:
- UMass Dartmouth generated a pair of early chances, but freshman Liv Desruisseaux (Dracut, Mass.) made both saves.
- Sullivan worked around a defender on the right side and entered the box, but her shot was knocked down by the UMass Dartmouth goalie.
- The match remained scoreless through the first half.
- Sullivan broke through in the 52nd minute, working free from a defender on a corner kick. Godo delivered the ball toward the six-yard box, and Sullivan's strong header found the top-right corner to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
- UMass Dartmouth equalized less than three minutes later with a shot from 25 yards out that found the net just beneath the crossbar. The Corsairs took the lead in the 59th minute when a high volley got past Desruisseaux.
- The hosts added an insurance goal in the 61st minute. A long free kick deflected off the crossbar, and a Corsair blasted the rebound inside the right post to make it 3-1.
- Plymouth State threatened in the 65th minute when Godo's long-range attempt was headed by a defender. Junior Sofia D'Addona (Torrington, Conn.) won the ball in the air, but her ensuing header was saved, and the goalkeeper gathered the rebound.
- Freshman Bella Coporale (Stafford Springs, Conn.) had one final chance with a shot from the right side, but the goalkeeper leaped to make the save as the Panthers were unable to rally.
By the Numbers:
- Sullivan's goal was her third of the season, tied for the second-most on the team.
- Godo leads the team with six assists.
- UMass Dartmouth held an 8-5 advantage in shots on goal.
- The Corsairs also edged the Panthers in corner kicks, 8-7.
Up Next:
- The Panthers travel to Framingham State on Wednesday (Oct. 21) for their final road game of the season. Plymouth State will look to complete a perfect 9-0 record against non-conference opponents.
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