PLYMOUTH, NH – After a late rally in the second half, the PSU Men’s Soccer team fell 2-1 to UMass Dartmouth.
On a gorgeous day stuck somewhere between summer and fall the teams took to a breezy pitch this afternoon in their opening game of Little East Conference play.
The first half was a story of the goalkeepers. Mike Phelan for UMass and Plymouth’s Bjorn Ohlsson kept the scoreboard blank on for the first half. Phelan made not one, but two bang-bang saves off corner tries – which a UMass fan later praised as “play of the year so far,” as the teams were heading to the locker rooms.
UMass came out strong in the second half with two quick goals from Adam Philbin and John Macaroco just under five minutes into the second half. A third goal very easily could have been notched later in the half on a UMass breakaway but Ohlsson cut down the angle and forced the shot wide.
Freshman Alex Herbert scored for Plymouth with 5:42 remaining, putting the game back within reach off an assist from Jacob Sjoberg. But despite the Panther’s late score, Phelan and the UMass defense held on for the win.