Box Score
BOSTON, Mass. – A Petro Masumbuko goal in the 93rd minute gave the Panthers of Plymouth State University a 1-0 Little East Conference victory over men's soccer Saturday evening at James Cotter Field on Senior Day. With the win by the Panthers, and an Eastern Connecticut State University loss, the Panthers will now be the second seed in the conference tournament and will host the Beacons on Wednesday in Plymouth, N.H.
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 0, Plymouth State University 1 (OT)
UMass Boston (14-4-0, 4-2-0 Little East Conference)
Plymouth State University (9-6-1, 5-1-1 Little East Conference)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Masumbuko's game-winning tally came after the forward was able to get in behind the Beacons defense and beat senior goalkeeper Estive Sosa (Chelsea, Mass.) to the far post. Assisting on the play was Erik Ljunglof who sent a perfectly placed ball up the middle of the field that allowed the fast breaking Masumbuko to run on to.
That decision coupled with the 1-0 UMass Dartmouth victory over Eastern Connecticut earned the Panthers the number two seed, while the Beacons who would have been crowned regular season champs with a win, now find themselves as the third seed going into the next Wednesday's semi-final match.
On the night UMass Boston, who honored their four senior members before the start of the contest, outshot the Panthers 26-9 (9-3 in shots on goal). UMass Boston also held a 10-4 advantage in corner kicks.
Sosa, who was handed his first loss of the year (5-1), did not register a save, while classmate Alfonso Rosales (Revere, Mass.) made two shots in the first 45 minutes of play. Panthers' goalkeeper Felix Lindeberg improved to 9-3-1, and made a total nine stops, two of which were point blank attempts in both the first and second halves.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Saturday's loss to the Panthers marked their first since the 2012 season, when they were handed a 2-1 double OT loss in Plymouth.
- All-time the Panthers now lead UMass Boston 27-6 with the two teams sharing five ties
- Saturday's contest marked the final home regular season game for Rosales, Sosa, Pedro Dasilva (Fogo, Cape Verde), and Elton Teixeira (Fogo, Cape Verde)
WHO'S NEXT
The Beacons will travel to Plymouth State University next Wednesday for the semi-final round of the Little East Conference Tournament. Start time to be determined.
