FARMINGTON, Maine – The University of Maine at Farmington men's soccer team had a disappointing start to their 2024 campaign, suffering a narrow 1-0 setback against the visiting Nichols College Bison.
How It Happened:
The game began with some animosity between the two teams. In the 8th minute, Franco Barreto Santana was assessed a red card after coming off his line and blindsiding sophomore forward Mohamed Adow (Auburn, Maine), launching himself into Adow's body while attempting to intercept a bouncing through ball. Barreto Santana was ejected from the game, and Adow was forced to leave and did not return.
Following Barreto Santana's red card, the visiting Bison played the remaining 82 minutes a man down.
Despite being shorthanded, the Bison managed to maintain pressure and dominated offensively for much of the game.
Nichols seemed poised to break the scoreless tie in the 12th minute when Josiah Phillips got behind the Beavers' backline and was alone with sophomore goalkeeper Jackson Leach (Farmingdale, Maine). However, Leach made a crucial save, denying Phillips' initial shot attempt. The rebound fell back to Phillips, whose second shot was also saved by a sprawling Leach, keeping the game scoreless.
The beginning of the second half was controlled by Nichols. After sustained pressure, the Bison finally broke the deadlock in the 70th minute. Lukas Salvador took a corner from the right side, delivering an outswinging ball toward the top of the penalty area. William Pugliese-Savage won the header and directed the ball to Alexandro Montreuil, who was unmarked on the goal line and scored the decisive goal.
After conceding, Farmington tried to assert themselves offensively but, despite a few opportunities, the Beavers could not find an equalizer.
Team Stats:
Nichols held an advantage in shots (14-9), a narrow edge in shots on goal (6-5), and corner kicks (5-3).
The Goalkeepers:
Leach made several high-quality saves, finishing with five crucial stops in the hard-fought loss. Derek Axon took over in goal for Barreto Santana and recorded five saves to earn the shutout, helping the Bison secure their first win of the season.
UP NEXT
The Beavers will have nine days between regular-season games, traveling to Biddeford the following Saturday to face the University of New England at 1:00 PM. Additionally, the Beavers will host their annual Alumni Game on Saturday, September 7th at 1:00 PM.
