Men’s Soccer Edged by Redhawks in AMCC Opener
PITTSBURGH – The Penn State Altoona men's soccer team started its Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference schedule with a close loss on Tuesday afternoon, when the Lions fell 2-1 to league opponent La Roche University at the Baierl Athletic Complex.
La Roche (1-7-1, 1-1 AMCC) scored the game's first two goals in the first half, but Penn State Altoona (1-5) got on the board before halftime to cut its deficit in half. But the host Redhawks maintained their one-goal lead through the second half to wrap up their first victory over the season and hand the Lions a tight conference loss.
Matias Harte (Knoxville, TN/State College) scored his first collegiate goal for Penn State Altoona and led all players in the game with three shots on goal. Giovanny Furbino (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) and Bailey Musselman (Altoona, PA/Altoona) also had shots on goal for the Lions.
Sasha Mohoruk (State College, PA/State College) made three saves at goalkeeper for Penn State Altoona.
La Roche staked out a 2-0 lead in the first half, as Jayden Fezatte's goal at 14:27 and Austin Emery's score at 25:04 put the Redhawks in front.
Just 29 seconds after La Roche's second goal, Penn State Altoona got on the board to climb back to within one goal, narrowing the Redhawks' advantage to 2-1. Harte found the back of the net at 25:33 for his first collegiate goal, with the assist going to Bailey Musselman (Altoona, PA/Altoona).
The 2-1 score held through the rest of the first half, which saw both teams attempt five shots and get one corner kick.
The second half was quiet on the scoreboard, with La Roche hanging on to its 2-1 lead to ultimately deal Penn State Altoona a one-goal loss. The Lions held a slight 4-2 advantage in shot attempts in the second period, with corner kicks again being tied at 1-1.
Penn State Altoona finished the day with a 9-7 lead over La Roche in total shots attempted, and both teams were tied in shots on goal, 5-5. The Lions and Redhawks each had two corner kicks.
Penn State Altoona men's soccer continues its AMCC schedule this Saturday, October 5, when the Lions return home to face Alfred State College at 2 p.m.