Fitchburg State Edged By Mass. Maritime, 2-1
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fitchburg St. (2-8-1, 0-4) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
|
Mass. Maritime (6-4-1, 3-0-1) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Al-Zaibak registers six saves for Falcons in MASCAC setback
BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. - The Fitchburg State men's soccer team was in action this evening, dropping a tough 2-1 decision to the Buccaneers of Mass. Maritime Academy in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action at Clean Harbors Stadium.
In the first half, Mass. Maritime took the lead at the 20:18 mark as sophomore midfielder Brendan Gawron fired a shot into the right side of the net for his team-leading seventh tally on the year for the 1-0 advantage.
The Buccaneers double their margin (2-0) in the 35th minute of play when junior defender Mick Rouette collected a feed from senior Scott Matoian and deposited a shot into the back of the net for his second goal of the season.
Following the break, Fitchburg State cut the deficit in half at the 76:03 mark after a cross by junior Ibrahima Male was deflected by a defender into the back of the net for an own goal to make the score 2-1.
The Falcons nearly knotted the score at the 86:02 mark, when junior forward Zachary Young settled a loose ball from 20-yards out and ripped a shot towards goal that Buccaneers keeper Mike Pruchnik was able to gather, resulting in the 2-1 final.
Throughout the contest, Mass. Maritime held a slim 10-9 advantage in shots, while Fitchburg State finished with a 6-3 margin in corner kicks. In net, junior Alex Al-Zaibak stopped six shots in the complete game effort for the Falcons, while Pruchnik made seven saves in 90 minutes of work for the Buccaneers.
Fitchburg State (2-8-1, 0-4-0 MASCAC) returns to action on Wednesday as it travels to Clark University to take on the Cougars for a contest starting at 7 p.m. Mass. Maritime (6-4-1, 3-0-1 MASCAC) will host the Judges of Brandeis University on Monday at 7 p.m.