PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Plymouth State withstood a furious late rally from RIC and Alex Garneau provided the game winning Goal as the Panthers improved to 6-9 on the season and 3-3 in the
Little East Conference. The win also kept Plymouth in sole possession of the final LEC playoff spot.
The win was the Panthers first in the past 12 meetings against the Anchormen, and was not short of a little luck. In the 17th minute, PSU would score their first goal when Parker Pear took a corner kick and lofted the ball towards the goalie box. In an attempt to clear the ball, the Anchormen knocked the ball into their own net for an own goal.
Heading into halftime, the Panthers held a 1-0 lead, as well as a 14-6 advantage in shots. The action would pick up, though, in the final 45 minutes.
Just ten minutes into the second half, Spear would carry the ball into RIC territory, and dish the ball to Garneau. With the defense surrounding him, Garneau chipped the ball just over the arms of RIC goalkeeper Christopher Duarte.
The Panthers appeared to have the game under control until Anchormen sophomore Emmanuel Asiedu got behind the defense and netted his fifth goal of the season.
The final minutes of the game saw some intense action, with RIC thinking they had beaten Panther Goalie Sam Whipple until a game-saving play by Joakim Martinsson kept the ball from getting into the net.
PSU will wrap up their regular season schedule this week with a pair of home games, staring Wednesday against Clark University and finishing against UMass Boston on Saturday.