PORTSMOUTH, Ohio (Men's Soccer) – The Shawnee State men's soccer team put just three shots on target and allowed three first half goals, as the Bears were defeated, 5-0, at the hands of the No. 4 University of Rio Grande on Wednesday afternoon at Shawnee Turf.
The Bears came out of the gates quickly – specifically on defense – holding the high-octane offense of the RedStorm scoreless for the opening 23 minutes.
It was in the 24th minute that Rio was able to get on the board. The goal came on a strong finish from Willian Paulino, who hammered a shot to the back post from 12 yards out, beating keeper Brandon Pfeifer (FR/Canal Winchester, Ohio).
Three minutes later, Cesar Lopez connected from nearly the identical spot with an eerily similar finish. The second goal came from a long cross off the foot of Heitor de Melo.
The RedStorm tacked on one final score in the 34th minute after a beautiful touch pass from Pau Delgado Rodriguez. Rodriguez, playing the ball on the right side laid a nifty pass back to the center of the field where Callum Cobb made solid contact from 22 yards out.
A mental error in the 48th minute cost the Bears a fourth score, as de Melo sent a penalty kick near midfield toward the Shawnee State goal. The attempted pass slipped through the fingers of backup keeper Justin Mahlmeister (SO/Portsmouth, Ohio) and skirted into the net.
Rodriguez added another score in the 83rd minute to bring the score to its final, 5-0. The Bears attempted just nine shots in the contest, with three hitting the target. All three game from forward Joseph Webster (SR/Kendal, Cumbria United Kingdom). Joe Lamont (SO/Edinburgh, Scotland) added three shots, as well.
The Bears are back in action over the weekend, taking on Point Park University on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Shawnee Turf. The match will represent the annual Kick for Krohn's game, as the team will wear orange warm-ups in support of Krohn's Disease.
