PORTSMOUTH – Men's soccer dropped its MSC opener to the University of the Cumberlands, 3-1, Saturday afternoon on the Shawnee Turf. The Patriots took a 2-0 lead into halftime before Shawnee State cut the deficit to one in the 57th minute. However, the Bears could never find the equalizer as Cumberlands added an insurance goal in the 81st minute.
Joseph Webster scored for the second straight game to make it a 2-1 contest early in the second half. His goal came off a direct kick from the foot of Martyn Sayer for the Bears only offensive score on the day. Sayer was also named the Portsmouth Pizzeria Man of the Match for his contributions Saturday. Defensively, Thomas Carbonari stopped six of the nine shots on goal that he faced in his first game back from a two game absence.
Although the Patriots took a 2-0 lead into the halftime break, they were not able to find the back of the net until the 42nd minute of the game when Ariel Castanon got on the receiving end of a pass inside the box to finish with just over three and a half minutes showing on first half clock.
The Bears had the ball worked deep into the Patriots' defensive zone with 19 seconds showing on the clock at the end of the opening half. After a pair of Cumberlands' yellow cards were issued during a stopped clock timeout, Shawnee State had a throw into the box but were unsuccessful in finishing the attempt.
With the SSU pressure pushed up the field with little time remaining in the opening half, Cumberlands quickly transitioned the ball all the way down the field as the Bears defense could not regroup and get in front of the ball. The quick transition flaws would prove very costly as Castanon finished his second goal of the opening half with just three seconds remaining on the clock.
After the break, SSU cut the deficit down to one score just 11-plus minutes into the second half as Webster headed home a set piece that was started by Sayer in the 57th minute. This gave the Bears over 33 minutes to work with the find an equalizer.
The Bears would outshoot the Patriots by a 7-6 margin in the second half but just could not find their second goal of the contest.
With the time winding down under 10 minutes, Rubem Lima gave UC a 3-1 lead as he struck a ball on the angle from about 30 yards out to put the Bears down by a pair of goals with under 10 minutes to play.
The Bears would get one final shot on goal in the 88th minute of play but would ultimately fall by that 3-1 margin. Sayer led all Bears with four shots in the game on Saturday. Both Webster and Alex Tulley would finish with three shots on the afternoon.
Men's soccer will now look to get back in the win column next Tuesday in non-conference action against Asbury beginning at 4 p.m. That game will be the fourth of a six-game homestand. MSC play resumes against Cumberland University next Saturday, September 21.
