DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth men's soccer team downs Plymouth State University, 3-1, in Little East Conference (LEC) action on Saturday afternoon. The Corsairs improved to a 3-2-1 league record with the home victory over the Panthers who dropped to a 1-3-1 mark in conference play.
UMass Dartmouth started the game strong as junior captain
Mario Rodriguez ripped an early shot on frame to test Panthers goalkeeper Kole Matta in the opening four minutes of the contest. The Corsairs continued to dominate possession of the ball and generate attacking opportunities, posting four more unanswered shots. In the 11
th minute of action, Rodriguez won the ball in the Panthers defensive third and danced around three Panther players before slipping a shot into the back of the net to give the home squad a quick 1-0 edge.
Plymouth State responded shortly after as Rowan McCarthy forced the first save of the game by Corsairs goalkeeper
Ethan Donahue. Both teams continued to exchange shots midway through the half, but Donahue kept the Panthers off the scoreboard with three more stops heading into halftime.
The Corsairs made quick work in the second half after first year
Aiden Marando scored his first collegiate goal in the 52
nd minute. After Rodriguez fired a strike on target to force a diving save by Matta, Marando was quick to collect the loose rebound and tap the ball in to put UMass Dartmouth up 2-0. About ten minutes later, Plymouth State answered after George Bergin scored off a corner kick piece to cut the Corsairs lead in half, 2-1.
Entering the 70
th minute of the game, junior
Nate Cordeiro battled for the ball in the midfield before sending a penetrating pass through the Panthers backline. Sophomore
Daniel Jordan darted behind the Plymouth State defense and slotted the ball into the back of the net to regain a two-goal advantage. The Corsairs defensive efforts held the Panthers to just three shots in the remaining minutes of the contest to seal their third conference win by a final score of 3-1 from Cressy Field.
Rodriguez notched his third goal of the season after firing 2-of-2 strikes on target while Marando scored his first career goal as a Corsair in the home win. Jordan tallied his seventh goal of the year for two points with Cordeiro earning his first assist of season.
Donahue picked up his sixth win in net for UMass Dartmouth after posting six saves and allowing just one goal on the afternoon. Matta finished the game with four stops and three goals allowed in net for the Panthers.
UMass Dartmouth hosts Rhode Island College for their next LEC tilt on Wednesday, October 22 scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. start time.
