The KSC men’s soccer team went up against Plymouth State University this past Saturday, Oct. 7.
Although the Owls put up a hard fight, they lost 2-1, suffering their first Little East Conference (LEC) loss.
During the first half of the game, Plymouth State was able to take the lead at the 10:55 mark.
Luke Stergiou / Senior Photographer
Plymouth offensive player Nick Rutherford received the ball at the top of the box and landed a shot in the high right corner, creating a 1-0 lead against Keene State. However, the Owls fought back and evened out the score in the 30th minute of the game, when senior and exercise science major William Salta landed a goal for the Owls.
Salta was able to dribble past multiple Plymouth defenders and land a goal in a one-on-one situation with the opposing goalie, tying up the score 1-1.
As the second half began and progressed, the Owls had some trouble in the 57th minute, fouling against Plymouth in the box and earning them a penalty kick. Fortunately, senior Keene State goalie Jason Smith prevented Plymouth from jumping ahead after a huge save.
The Owls worked to get in a second goal with multiple attempts by first-year Samuel Binogono, senior Promise Kpee and senior Riley Steele, but to no avail.
Each team worked to get the upper hand, but the defense on each team shut down each opportunity, sending them into overtime. As overtime began, the Owls created two opportunities to score, but with no success, the game continued on.
With just two minutes remaining, Plymouth State was able collect a rebound and land a goal from the goal line in the midst of scramble for the ball.
The Owls took a 2-1 loss, as well as suffered their first LEC loss. Their next home game will be Wednesday, Oct. 18 against Tufts University. The game will commence at 7:00 p.m..
Caroline Perry can be contacted at cperry@kscequinox.com
