CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Late goals from Shukri Hassan (Lewiston, Maine) and Mohamed Adow (Auburn, Maine) propelled the University of Maine at Farmington men's soccer team to a 5-3 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) victory over Lesley University on Saturday afternoon.
The Records:
With the win, Farmington clinched a spot in the 2024 NAC playoffs, improving to 6-6-3 overall with a 5-4 record in NAC play. Lesley dropped to 3-10-1 with a 2-6-1 record against NAC opponents.
How It Happened:
Senior Zach Chaisson (Scarborough, Maine) got the Beavers' offense going quickly with a goal just six minutes in. Chaisson created a penalty kick opportunity by racing past a Lesley defender before being taken down from behind in the box. He took the PK and slid a shot into the right corner of the goal, just inside the post, to make it 1-0.
Both teams had a few opportunities to score midway through the first half, but it wasn't until first-year forward Jackson Landry (Gorham, Maine) scored his third goal of the season that Farmington doubled its lead. A long ball was sent over the top of the Lynx defense, bouncing toward the penalty area where Lesley goalkeeper Josiah Williams was waiting. Landry's hustle paid off as he intercepted the ball before it reached Williams, deflecting it around the Lynx goalkeeper before finding the net.
Lesley cut the Beavers' lead in half in the final seconds of the first half when Landry was whistled for a handball in the Beavers' defensive box. Aidan Stafford took the penalty kick and beat sophomore goalkeeper Jackson Leach (Farmingdale, Maine), making it a 2-1 game heading into halftime.
The score remained 2-1 until the 69th minute. Abdilahi Abdi (Lewiston, Maine) carried the ball along the left wing into the penalty area before sending a pass across the area that found Caleb Kolman (Bixby, Okla.), who one-timed a right-footed shot into the back of the net, extending the Beaver lead to 3-1.
The two-goal advantage didn't last more than 47 seconds, as miscommunication between the Farmington defenders and Leach allowed Nick Wadleigh to intercept a bouncing ball. He had an open net and didn't miss, making it a 3-2 game with 20 minutes to play.
Aidan Stafford tied the game in the 78th minute, heading home a corner from Miguel Vasconcelos.
Hassan became the hero for Farmington in the 81st minute. After a mis-hit ball from Williams fell at Hassan's feet, he took a touch, noticed Williams was out of the goal, and fired a shot over the top and into the empty net, making it a 4-3 game.
Adow added insurance in the 90th minute, scoring off a free kick to seal Farmington's 5-3 victory.
Team Stats:
The Beavers held advantages in shots (23-12), shots on goal (14-9), and corner kicks (7-2) to secure the victory.
The Goalkeepers:
Leach made six saves to earn the win for Farmington, while Williams finished with nine saves in a hard-fought loss for the Lynx.
UP NEXT:
The Beavers will wrap up their 2024 regular season on Wednesday afternoon against the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Game time is set for 1:00 PM.
