Falcons Drubbed by Springfield on Senior Night, 2-1
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Springfield (8-5-5) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
|
Fitchburg St. (7-10-0) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
FITCHBURG, Mass. – Fitchburg State University's comeback attempt fell short on senior night as the Falcons were defeated by Springfield College, 2-1, in a non-conference men's soccer tilt on Tuesday evening at Elliot Field.
With the loss, the Falcons fall to 7-10 on the season, while the Pride improve to 8-5-5 on the year.
Junior midfielder Franck Wansi scored the lone Fitchburg State goal at the 79:28 mark of the match on a shot outside the box that deflected off a defender and past Springfield's net minder Zach Richard. The goal cut the Pride's deficit in half to 2-1 but the Falcons were unable to create any other scoring chances in the final minutes of play.
Senior defensemen Drew Sommer got the visitors on the board first midway through the opening stanza at 23:06 on a helper from Curtis Bolduc.
The Pride doubled their advantage to 2-0 minutes into the second half as Harrison Davis beat Falcons freshman keeper Alex Alzaibak off a pass from Ryan Malone at 49:04.
Just prior to the Wansi goal, Fitchburg State nearly found the back of the net on a header by sophomore Nicholas Masley off of a corner kick, but was stopped by defenseman Evan Cheman just short of the goal line.
Overall, Springfield held a 19-8 advantage in shots, while both teams had four corner kicks on the night.
Alzaibak recorded eight saves in his third appearance on the season, while his counterpart Richard had one stop in the winning effort.
Prior to the match, seniors Aidan Hanratty, Calvin La Rose, and Brett Smith were recognized for their four years of contributions to the Fitchburg State University men's soccer program.
Fitchburg State will travel to Worcester State on Saturday, November 1 at 10:00 am in the battle of the Sterling Cup. Springfield College will take on United States Coast Guard Academy on the same day at 1:00pm.
