COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus College men's soccer team fell into a two-goal hole in the first half and was unable to make up the ground in a 2-1 non-conference loss to visiting Stockton on Tuesday night.
Sophomore Daan Slaats recorded his first career point for Ursinus (4-9-0), setting up classmate Ben Amaral's goal that pulled the hosts within a goal at the 37:33 mark. The Bears managed only three shots on goal, however, and failed to find an equalizer in their final non-conference game of the season.
Nick Cristea had a goal and an assist for Stockton (5-7-4), which took both No. 3 Rowan and No. 13 Haverford to double overtime earlier this fall.
Neither team mounted a serious threat in the early going, but the action ratcheted up immensely around the midway point of the frame. Sophomore goalkeeper Brandon Lillian made a big save in the 20th minute, coming out to snare a line drive off the foot of Stockton's Anthony Colofranson, who had gotten a step on the Bear back line and had room to fire on the left side of the box.
Lillian had little chance about two minutes later, when Christian Bik stepped into a shot from about 25 yards out and rocketed it into the top left corner of the net to give the Ospreys a 1-0 lead at 21:38.
The teams traded goals in a 36-second flurry late in the period. Stockton grabbed a 2-0 advantage when a throw-in from the right was touched toward the back post by Colofranson, and Cristea was waiting to roof it home, banging a close-range shot off the crossbar and down over the line.
But the Bears roared back right away, with Slaats playing a through ball to Amaral, who hesitated before gaining separation down the right side of the box and depositing a low shot into the lower left corner of the net to draw the home side within 2-1 in the 38th minute.
The Ospreys had a golden chance to extend the lead back to two with 17:30 to play, as Colofranson was played in one-on-one with Lillian. But the Bears' net-minder came off his line and dove to snag the ball after the Stockton striker attempted to dribble around him to an empty net.
With just over seven minutes left, Ursinus junior Kyle Woulfe had a brief look at an open net when the Stockton goalie came out and was involved in a collision, but Woulfe's effort was directed just high as Osprey defenders raced back to cover the goal. The Bears earned a late corner, but only managed one shot over the last seven minutes and change.
Colofranson led all players with nine shots for Stockton, and had five of them rejected by Lillian, accounting for all of the sophomore's saves. Michael Lescano finished with two saves for the Ospreys.
Ursinus narrowly outshot its opponent, 15-14, but Stockton held a 5-3 edge in corners.
The Bears will honor their six-man senior class on Saturday, October 22, against McDaniel. After a pregame Senior Day ceremony, kick-off will commence at 5:00 p.m.
