BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – Salem University men's soccer grabbed an early lead but couldn't hold on, falling 3-1 to Concord on Sunday afternoon.
The Tigers opened the scoring in the 15th minute when a Concord own goal put Salem in front 1-0. The lead held for nearly 20 minutes before the Mountain Lions equalized on a penalty kick from Malher Santi Possu in the 33rd minute. Concord added another before halftime when Mateo Rodriguez scored in the 37th to make it 2-1.
Salem continued to push in the second half, earning multiple corner kicks and nearly leveling the match when Gabe Morales struck the crossbar in the 65th minute. However, Concord extended its lead in the 68th as Erik Lotysz scored off a setup from Santi Possu to make it 3-1.
Goalkeeper Noah Plummer recorded two saves in the first half before Jason Barrientos took over in the second. Offensively, Josue Villegas, Tommy Sowinski, and Caleb Christner each registered shots on goal, while Ahmad Hijaz and Dylan Vaughn anchored the defensive line.
With the result, Salem moves to 1-4-5 on the season, while Concord improves to 7-2-1. The Tigers return to action later this week. That contest will be against the Charleston Golden Eagles on the road on Wednesday, October 8th.
