MEADVILLE, Pa. – After going through its first 12 matches without a first half goal, the Allegheny College men's soccer team knotted two in the opening 45 minutes en route to a 2-1 victory over Hiram College this evening from Frank B. Fuhrer Field.
Allegheny (4-6-2, 3-0-1 NCAC) remains one of three unbeaten teams in North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) play with the victory, while Hiram (5-6-2, 1-3-0 NCAC) now sits eight points outside of the league's top four.
The Terriers held edges in shots (10-6), shots on goal (5-3), and corner kicks (8-6), but couldn't break through on the Gator defense until the 83rd minute.
It only took 13 minutes for the hosts to dent the scoreboard when sophomore forward
Tolossa Hassan notched his second goal of the season. Hassan was the recipient of a redirected cross off the chest of classmate
Izaak Miller, and slotted home the pass left of Hiram goalkeeper Matt Sacher.
The visitors ramped up the pressure soon after and earned three consecutive corner kicks in the 19th minute. The last of those eventually forced a save from senior goalkeeper
Jake Pugliese – his first of three within a span of 3:11.
Allegheny picked up its second goal and the eventual game-winner after a round of substitutions. The last of those subs, junior midfielder
Bobby Weeks, set up the tally with a long cross into the box that met the head of a Terrier defender. His deflection glanced off the crossbar and the loose ball trickled to senior midfielder
Jacob Lebsack, who headed it over Sacher with 12 seconds remaining in the half for his first goal of the year.
The Gators kept Hiram in check for most of the second half, but the visitors would get one back with seven minutes remaining. However, the Terriers would not create another dangerous chance for the rest of the match and Allegheny used some efficient ball-control skills in the final minute to secure the win.
Pugliese made four saves on the evening to earn the victory.
Allegheny matches up with one of its fellow NCAC unbeatens this weekend at Ohio Wesleyan. The match between the Gators and Battling Bishops is scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. start on Saturday, Oct. 17.
