Fitchburg State Shocks Salem State, 2-1

Shea and Lemus propel Falcons to MASCAC playoffs with one goal apiece

FITCHBURG, Mass. (October 27, 2012) – The Fitchburg State men's soccer team scored a stunning MASCAC victory this afternoon, defeating conference leader, Salem State University, 2-1 at Alumni Field.

The Vikings, who still hold the number one seed and a first-round bye, suffered their first conference loss and now own a 6-1 MASCAC mark and 10-6-2 overall record. With the victory, Fitchburg State collects a MASCAC playoff berth, earning the sixth-seed with a 5-10-2 mark overall and 2-5-0 clip in the league.

Forward Matt Figueiredo (Wilmington, MA) put the Vikings on the board first, scoring a goal on an assist from Carlos Escobar (Malden, MA) with under four minutes left in the half. However, after heavy pressure by the Falcons, junior Colin Shea (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) headed a ball over goalkeeper Scott Hall's (Waltham, MA) hands to tie the game at 1-1 right before the half.

In a back and forth second half, freshman Francisco Lemus (Everett, Mass./Everett) finally broke through in the 76th minute when he scored what proved to be the game-winner on an assist by Matheus Neves (Everett, Mass./Everett).

Throughout the contest, the Vikings out-shot the Falcons 20-8, but sophomore Aidan Hanratty (E. Bridgewater, Mass./E. Bridgewater) stopped nine shots for Fitchburg State in the win. Salem State did hold a 7-0 advantage in corner, while Hall made four saves in net for the Vikings. 

Fitchburg State (5-10-2, 2-5-0 MASCAC) will be back in action on Tuesday night as it squares off against Westfield State in the quarterfinal round of the MASCAC Tournament. The Falcons will visit the Owls at 7 p.m.