Men's Soccer Falls 1-0 in Heartbreaker at UMass Lowell
BOX SCORE
LOWELL, MASS. – After 77 hard-fought minutes, the University at Albany men's soccer team (3-5-5, 1-1 AE) surrendered a goal on a River Hawks free kick to take a 1-0 loss at UMass Lowell (4-8, 1-1 AE) on Saturday afternoon.
“Today was a typical America East Conference game,” said head coach Trevor Gorman. “It was hard-fought and competitive; ultimately it came down to a late goal off of a set piece. We have to pick ourselves up for another road battle on Wednesday night [at New Hampshire].”
Soggy field conditions were a factor early in the game, with neither team stringing many quality looks together. UAlbany and UMass Lowell took turns losing and regaining possession in the midfield for much of the first 20 minutes of the game.
Neither team tallied a shot until mid-way through the half. After several missed connections, Pedro Espindola found Afonso Pinheiro after streaking down the right side. Pinheiro fired a shot wide left.
The Great Danes had a few set-piece opportunities in the first half, but swinging services from Luke Palmateer and Philip Persson couldn't find someone to connect with on the other side.
UAlbany looked more in the swing of things as the first half came to a close. Anthony Rozzano and Espindola continued to find open Great Danes up front, but the opportunities came up empty. Dominic McGarr headed a corner kick wide to conclude the period.
With the pace of play picking up in the second half, Pinheiro threatened the River Hawk back line. The freshman fired into the lower-90, but the UMass Lowell keeper made a save on the bounce.
The River Hawks charged back with three straight shots of their own, but Tim Allen kept the River Hawks at bay coming off his line.
With 30 minutes left in the second half, Rozzano came across the River Hawk 18-yard box to win a ball and find Pinheiro up top. Pinheiro left the ball for Espindola. The sophomore put a shot on the River Hawks keeper, who made the initial save. A UMass Lowell defender tracked down the rebound and cleared downfield.
The River Hawks earned a free kick on the outer left edge of the 18 in the 77th minute. The service from Carlos Ruiz found Augusto Treno's head for the score. The goal was debatably over the end line after a deflection and clear attempt.
Espindola managed the final UAlbany shot of the game, firing wide as time expired.
Tim Allen made four saves in the loss. Senior defender Dominic McGarr became the program's all-time leader in career starts with his 71st starting assignment against the River Hawks.
The Great Danes continue their America East road trip at New Hampshire (4-6-1, 0-2 AE) on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
