DUDLEY, Mass. – Senior
Drea Oswell (Stafford Springs, Conn.) broke a 1-1 tie with her first career goal to lift Plymouth State University over Nichols College, 2-1, in a non-conference women's soccer match at Nichols Soccer Field on Tuesday afternoon.
The Panthers continued their perfect run through non-conference play with two first-half strikes. Sophomore
Clara Wilson (Montpelier, Vt.) got the scoring started with a beautiful header off a corner from classmate
Islah Godo (Topsham, Maine) in the 10th minute.
After Nichols pulled even in the 14th minute, Oswell followed with the game-winner as the Panthers worked the ball all the way up the field. Freshman goalkeeper
Liv Desruisseaux (Dracut, Mass.) sent the ball ahead to sophomore
Corinne Palhof (Loudon, N.H.), who played it to Oswell. Oswell fired a shot to the far post that beat the Bison keeper, and Plymouth State maintained the advantage through the final whistle.
Plymouth State improves to 4-1-0, while the Bison drop to 0-4-1.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 2, Nichols 1
- Plymouth State (4-1-0)
- Nichols (0-4-1)
How it Happened:
- After an early chance for the Bison was saved by Desruisseaux, the Panthers began to control possession, eventually earning a corner kick. Godo sent the service toward the far post, where Wilson scored on a header in the 10th minute.
- Nichols didn't take long to respond, as a strong shot from the right of the box found its way in for the tying goal four minutes later.
- Plymouth State nearly struck back a few minutes later when freshman Riley Sciulli (Halifax, Mass.) sent a free kick into the box that sophomore Clare Tuohy (Sunapee, N.H) redirected on target, but the shot was stopped.
- The Panthers retook the lead in the 31st minute as Desruisseaux made a save and then sent the ball forward. Palhof jumped on the ball and fired it ahead to Oswell, who rifled a shot past the keeper to the far post.
- Just three minutes later, Palhof nearly doubled the lead, but her shot from outside the box rang off the crossbar.
- The Panther momentum continued into the second half. Roughly eight minutes in, freshman Bella Coporale (Stafford Springs, Conn.) delivered a corner to Palhof, who fired a ball in close that was redirected by sophomore Maggie MacDonald (Pembroke, Mass.) just over the bar.
- MacDonald came close again when a perfect ball from Tuohy set her up for a one-on-one with the keeper, but the goalkeeper came out to deny the chance.
- The Bison had a few more chances, but the Plymouth State defense held firm until the final whistle.
By the Numbers:
- The Panthers matched a season-high with 25 shots, outshooting the Bison, 25-13.
- Shots on goal went to Plymouth State, 11-8.
- The Panthers created nine corners, while the Bison managed only three.
- Plymouth State improved to 5-3 all-time against Nichols while picking up its second road win in the series.
- The Panthers are a perfect 4-0 on the season in non-conference play. It is their best start to a non-conference schedule since going 10-0 in out-of-conference games in 1997.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State returns to LEC play on Saturday (Sept. 19) when WestConn visits Arold Field for an 11 a.m. match.
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