LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall men's soccer team conceded a goal in each half during a 2-0 loss versus Ursinus on Wednesday night. The Diplomats had statistical advantages in both shots (16-9) and corner kicks (12-5), but could not find the finishing touch in the conference match up.
Ursinus struck first by forcing a key takeaway in the Diplomats' defensive third. Joseph Kmetz was able to gather the possession for the Bears and finish a 1v1 situation with the goalie for the early lead. The Bears' second tally of the night came just 18 seconds into the second half as a quick rush saw an opening shot attempt from Noah Huber ring off the post before Nicholas Grippa was in prime position to finish the rebound.
Franklin & Marshall picked up the offensive intensity later in the second half and put four shots on goal during the final 45 minutes of game action. Vahe Kassabian saw two of his runs towards the goal denied, while Jack Baer and Nico Palacios had their attempts for a goal turned away later in the half. Palacios also had the tough luck of watching another shot bounce the wrong way off the post during the 65th minute of game action.
Josiah Moore made his only four saves of the night during the second half to record the shutout for the visitors. Diego Moreno made three stops on the evening for F&M as the Bears held a slight 5-4 advantage in shots on goal. Ten different Diplomats recorded a shot in the match, with Palacios tallying a team-high three shot attempts.
Men's soccer will head out on the road this Saturday for a 3 p.m. start at Haverford. The Diplomats conclude the regular season next Saturday, October 31 with their Senior Day game against McDaniel that is slated for a 6 p.m. start.
