Last season, the Massachusetts men’s soccer team fell to Rhode Island in its final Atlantic 10 conference game of the year in a 1-0 defeat.
On Saturday, it experienced similar fate.
This time, the Minutemen (3-5-2, 0-1 A-10) opened up conference play against URI (2-6-2, 1-0 A-10) and suffered a 3-1 loss to the Rams, who had entered the game with just one win on the season.
Despite entering the grass-laden URI Soccer Complex with a 0-3-1 road record, UMass was confident due to the surface that they would be playing on. The Minutemen, who had only faced road foes on turf, entered Saturday’s game with a 3-1-1 record on grass, but were unable to come away with their fourth win.
The scoring opened up in the 36th minute when URI forward Ross Morison took a shot from about 20 yards out and put it past UMass goalkeeper Brian Frame, who was unable to control the ball. It bounced off his hands and straight to the feet of midfielder Mike Casey, who kicked it in for his fifth goal of the season.
Casey has scored nearly one third of his team’s 16 goals on the year, and the score tied him for fifth in the A-10 in goals scored.
The Minutemen remained right on the Rams’ tails for most of the game, but just as the clock reached the 70th minute, URI struck again.
The Rams made their way up the field as midfielder Joey Haught passed to defenseman Alan Hernandez on the far side of the field. Hernandez then crossed the ball right in front of the net to senior forward Thomas Lindroos, who knocked in his second goal of the year.
About 10:30 later, the Rams put the game completely out of reach on a give-and-go goal by midfielder Matt Sykes. It was the sophomore’s third goal on the season, and he was assisted by Casey on the play.
Up 3-0, URI redshirt freshman goalie Thomas Spenser was on the line for his first career shutout, but he was tested when his team committed a foul inside the box with six seconds left in regulation.
UMass senior defender Dominic Skrajewski took the ensuing penalty shot and belted it past Spenser, who despite giving up the last-second goal, didn’t leave the game disappointed, as he picked up his first collegiate win in the effort.
The Rams, who like UMass, have not won on the road (0-5-1) moved their record at home to 2-0-1.
With the victory, URI now holds a 33-20-4 record in the all-time series against the Minutemen.
UMass will return to the comfort of Rudd Field for two matches scheduled for this weekend. On Friday, the Minutemen will host Saint Joseph’s before welcoming Temple on Sunday.
The Hawks (4-7, 0-2 A-10) have started off the season struggling so far, and are fresh off their first two conference games, both defeats at home against Duquesne and St. Bonaventure.
Meanwhile, the Owls (6-4-1, 2-0 A-10) won each of their home games this weekend against the aforementioned teams.
Friday’s game is set for a 3 p.m. start and Sunday’s match is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m.
Taylor Snow can be reached at [email protected] and can be followed @taylorcsnow.
