BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — The Salem University men's soccer team picked up a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Malone University Saturday afternoon at The Bridge, securing its third win of the season.
Salem improved to 3-6-2 overall and 1-5-1 in conference play with the victory, while Malone dropped to 2-7-1 overall and 1-5-1 in conference action.
The Tigers wasted little time creating pressure, and their efforts paid off in the 16th minute. Josue Villegas found the back of the net at the 15:26 mark, scoring an unassisted goal to give Salem a 1-0 lead.
Salem continued to threaten throughout the opening half, recording nine shots compared to four for Malone. Copper West, Dylan Vaughn and Jerrel Cooper each put shots on target, while Tommy Sowinski struck the woodwork in the 31st minute.
At the other end of the field, goalkeeper Gregory Lynch kept Malone off the scoreboard. Lynch made two saves in the opening half, including stops on shots from Sean Waweru and Drew Kapsak, as Salem carried its 1-0 advantage into halftime.
Malone increased the pressure after the break, but Salem's defense held firm. Lynch added another save in the second half, while the Tigers limited Malone to just one shot after halftime.
Salem continued to generate chances of its own in the second half. Jerrel Cooper and Nicolas Del Gaudio each put shots on goal early in the half, while Tommy Sowinski forced another save from Malone goalkeeper Roman Sigafoos in the 81st minute.
The Tigers finished the afternoon with a 13-5 advantage in shots and held Malone to just three shots on target. Salem goalkeeper Lynch finished with three saves to record the shutout, while Sigafoos made seven saves for Malone.
Salem also earned five corner kicks and limited Malone to five, with both teams finishing the match with eight fouls.
Villegas' early goal proved to be enough as Salem held on for the 1-0 victory and secured three points in the standings.
