PORTSMOUTH, Ohio -- When it's winning time, João Coqueti Léo and Guillermo Conejo Martin just have a knack for making the right plays -- and finding each other on the pitch in the process.
Locked in a scoreless tie with Indiana-Columbus with less than 20 minutes to play in a physical contest where both programs combined for 21 fouls and eight yellow cards, the Shawnee State men's soccer program emerged victorious again thanks in large part to the above duo, with Conejo Martin's corner kick finding Coqueti Léo for the game-winner in front of the net in the 74th minute to lift the Bears to a 1-0 triumph over the Crimson Pride in a grudge match of a River States Conference bout that was held at Shawnee Turf in Portsmouth Thursday evening.
Shot domination
Despite the tight battle over the entirety of the match from a score standpoint, Shawnee State nabbed a massive advantage in terms of shots as the Bears claimed a 20-4 advantage in that category -- and a 11-3 edge in shots on goal as well.
The Bears came perilously close to nabbing the match's maiden goal on numerous occasions -- but especially so in the 25th through 42nd minutes of play, where Shawnee State collected 10 shots over those 17 minutes alone.
During that stretch, Cameron Thompson and Matt Stam combined for four shots on their own between the 25th through 27th minutes, while Thompson added in another attempt that missed in the 35th.
After four additional attempts that followed -- including a 40th minute try by Alfie Maynard that just glanced off of the post -- Shawnee State and Indiana-Columbus remained in a 0-0 deadlock at the break.
Coqueti, Gui connect for the lead
However, the Bears continued to build momentum -- until Coqueti Léo and Conejo Martin answered with the biggest salvo in the contest.
With an opportunity to pounce on a corner kick, Conejo Martin lofted a well-placed ball into the right side of the box, where Coqueti Léo again used his skilled touch to finish past athletic Indiana-Columbus goalkeeper Jacob Kasarda for the finish to lift Shawnee State to the 1-0 lead that it ultimately wouldn't relinquish.
Thursday's goal marked the fourth of the 2024 season along with the ninth point of the year for Coqueti Léo already -- with the freshman scoring his fourth goal on his ninth shot attempt of the year for a .444 shot percentage and a .778 shot on goal mark. Those marks, along with his second consecutive game-winning goal in as many matches, now lead the Shawnee State roster.
As for Conejo Martin, the skilled and crafty senior became the fourth Shawnee State player this season to tally at least three assists with his winning corner in the 74th. Conejo Martin now has eight goals, four assists and 20 points for his SSU career.
Additional
Eric Green, who made three saves to head up Shawnee State's strong defensive effort, made stops in the 24th, 56th and 70th minutes to lead the Bears' efforts on that end of the pitch, while Coqueti Léo, Lars van de Pol, Guilherme Bitencourt, and Nikos Pontikis, among others, were crucial to Shawnee State's efforts in the 1-0 triumph.
With the win, Shawnee State maintained its fourth place position in the River States Conference Standings. The Bears now have 10 points to its credit with two River States Conference regular season bouts remaining, sitting ahead of Midway, Ky.'s 2-3-1 record and seven points, Indiana-East's 2-3 record and six points and Brescia's 1-3-2 overall mark and five points. The full standing rundown is listed at https://riverstatesconference.com/standings.aspx?standings=71.
The men's soccer program at Shawnee State will turn its attention to a Saturday evening River States Conference matchup against Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, which commences at 5:30 p.m. in Portsmouth.
