ABINGTON, Pa. - The St. Mary's College of Maryland men's soccer team faced a setback in their final game of the 2023 regular season, falling 2-0 to Penn State Abington. The loss puts St. Mary's College at 8-6-3 for the season and secures their position as the No. 4 seed in the upcoming 2023 United East Conference (UEC) Men's Soccer Championship Tournament. Penn State Abington, with a record of 9-4-4, now stands atop the UEC with a 6-0-1 record.
The game, played on Wednesday afternoon, saw Penn State Abington take control early. They outshot St. Mary's College 6-2 in the first half and took a 1-0 lead at the 25-minute mark when Eljo Agolli successfully converted the team's fifth shot of the game. St. Mary's junior forward, Abdoul Anounkou, managed their first quality shot at 40:08, testing Penn State's goalkeeper, Matt Sheldon, with a shot to the bottom left.
In the second half, Agolli extended the Nittany Lions' lead with a penalty kick, bringing the score to 2-0 just shy of six minutes into the stanza. St. Mary's made several efforts to get on the scoreboard, including a shot by Zack Glime at 52:32, but Sheldon made key saves to keep the Seahawks at bay. St. Mary's continued to press, with Braden Kindred and Alex Ochman making back-to-back scoring attempts at 81:03 and 82:48, respectively, but were unable to breach the Abington defense.
In the box score, Penn State Abington posted a 12-5 shot advantage (4-4 on goal) and secured a 4-3 edge in corner kicks.
St. Mary's goalkeeper, Matthew Kopsidas, made two crucial saves during the game, while Abdoul Anounkou led the St. Mary's team with two shots. This loss marks St. Mary's first defeat to Abington in six contests, maintaining their all-time record at 5-1.
Penn State Abington, entering the game ranked seventh in the United Soccer Coaches Region IV poll, put forth a commendable defensive effort. Goalkeeper Matt Sheldon made four stops during the match, securing his third shutout of the season.
The Seahawks of St. Mary's College will have a chance at redemption as they prepare to host Penn College, the No. 5 seed, in the first round of the UEC Men's Soccer Championship Tournament. The game is set to take place on Saturday, October 28, at 2:00 p.m. The contest will be held at the Jamie L. Roberts Stadium in St. Mary's City, Maryland, and promises to be an exciting matchup between these two UEC rivals. St. Mary's will look to avenge their regular-season loss to Penn College, having earned a 3-1 road victory over them on October 14.
St. Mary's College may have stumbled in their last regular-season game, but they are determined to come back stronger in the UEC Championship Tournament and prove themselves as a formidable force on the soccer field. The road ahead is challenging, but the Seahawks are prepared to face it head-on, seeking to clinch victory and add to their storied soccer legacy.
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