HOUGHTON, NY – A back and forth contest went in favor of the visitors as Houghton mens' soccer lost a heartbreaker 4-3 decision to RIT on Tuesday at Burke Field.
The Highlanders controlled much of the play early and the hosts were finally able to break through with a goal by
Ben DiCrasto in the 16th minute. Houghton maintained their strong play over the middle portion of the first half, but the Tigers found their composure and began to pressure the Highlander back line. That pressure final broke through with back to back goals in the 32nd and 35th minutes, as RIT took a 2-1 lead into the break.
Houghton righted the ship as the second half began. Sub
Aldo Rico made a strong play along the sideline and found
Andrew Bussey outside the box. The senior moved toward the center of the field and rifled a 20-yard shot into the right side netting to tie the score. RIT answered just nine minutes later, before Houghton again got on the board. This time it was
Zach Shilvock who blistered a low shot from 18 yards out, and the score was 3-3 with just over 20 minutes to play.
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Both teams produced several dangerous chances over the waning minutes, but it was the visiting Tigers who found the winner with just under two minutes to go.
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GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 3 | RIT – 4
Records: Houghton: 3-4 | RIT: 4-1-1
Venue: Burke Field, Houghton College | Attendance: 150
SCORING SUMMARYÂ
15:44 |
 |
Ben Dicrasto (3)Â
Assisted By: Kenneth Estep |
31:20 |
 |
Jared Short (4)Â
Assisted By: Nick Simone |
34:50 |
 |
Alec Jackson (3)Â
Assisted By: Nick Simone |
52:07 |
 |
Andrew Bussey (1)Â
Assisted By: Aldo Rico |
61:49 |
 |
Alec Jackson (4)Â
Assisted By: Nick Simone |
69:32 |
 |
Zach Shilvock (1)Â
Assisted By: Andrew Bussey |
88:18 |
 |
Alec Jackson (5)Â
Assisted By: Ben Frenett |
NOTABLE STATS
>> Shots were in favor of the Highlanders, 12-11
>> RIT had a 10-4 edge in corners
>>
Bryson Robinson made six saves in net and turned away several other chances as attackers moved into the box
>> RIT is ranked No. 10 in the latest NCAA DIII East Region poll
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COACH'S CORNER
"Tonight was a tough game. We started the game really well, and stuck to our game plan early. However, when we veered from our strengths, things broke down a bit. RIT is a good team, and we scored some great goals tonight…. but we need to solidify things defensively as a unit. We learned a lot from tonight, and I am confident going into our game with Sage on Saturday that we will be ready to bounce back!" –Head Coach
Matthew WebbÂ
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UP NEXT
Houghton travels to take on Sage on Saturday, September 22 in Albany.
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