PRESQUE ISLE, ME
In UMPI Men's Soccer's home opener, the Owls played a very physical contest with Fisher College, and forced a scoreless first half. Though the second half wasn't as kind, a penalty kick goal ended up putting the nail in the coffin just a few minutes into the second half to give Fisher a 2-0 victory.
How it Happened:
The Owls struggled to find offensive opportunities for the entirety of the contest, but their defensive effort was nothing short of stellar. Keeper Brett Senal continues his hot start to the season, stopping shot after shot, and covering every inch of the frame, making 10 saves in the first half. Both teams battled in every sense of the word, committing a total of 10 fouls in the first half as they fought for field position.
In the second half, the Falcons finally broke through, Andrew Ron found Santiago Blancuzzi who made a sliding finish to put them on the board. Five minutes later, the Falcons earned a penalty kick, and Leonardo Di Biase chipped it over Senal's head to make it a 2-0 score.
The Owls played very hard to the final whistle but still couldn't find that elusive back of the net as the Falcons shut them out.
Top Performers:
The Owls managed just three shots on the afternoon, one from Garrett Fletcher, one from Ayden Burnett, and one from Edmundo Cuervo-Alanis. Brett Senal was terrific again in net, making 11 saves, along with help from his defenders Andrew Morales, Sam Bay, and David Sanyaolu who all played 90 minutes and made several great defensive plays to keep Fisher in check.
Next Up:
The Owls will hit the road this weekend to play VTSU-Johnson on Saturday before making the long trip back to host the University of Southern Maine on Sunday.
