DURHAM, North Carolina - With the final contest of Mountain East opponents that was scuttled in the mid-week, the Salem men's soccer team headed down to Durham, North Carolina to take on fellow USCAA member and NCAA Division II soccer Independent Shaw. Salem kept the pressure on the Bears initially, but ultimately fell by a score of 5-0. 

In the first half, the game was fairly evenly matched with each team trading runs early. It would be nearly 40 minutes into the period before Shaw broke the deadlock with a goal just before the break. The 1-0 scoreline would hold into the intermission. 

After the locker room talk, the Tigers got back out on the field and tried to keep the pressure on Shaw. However, the Bears were able to find the gaps in the Tiger defense in the second half and added 4 more goals. Therefore, the Tigers fell by a score of 5-0 in Durham. 

While this is certainly not how the Tigers wanted to end the season, there were still some bright spots in the scorebook for Salem. Aidan Mahoney played well and logged a pair of shots on goal for the Tigers offensively. Defensively, Ben Lam and Marcos Ayelo anchored the Salem backline well. In goal, Ryan Schneider contributed a pair of saves for the Tigers. 

While this match down south wraps up the Tigers 2023 fall campaign, there is still plenty for Salem to look forward to for the spring preparations towards the 2024 fall season for Salem men's soccer.