BOX SCORE
Philadelphia, PA – The University of Hartford men's soccer team suffered its third-straight loss on Saturday afternoon, falling to the Temple University Owls 2-1 at Ambler Field. The Hawks dropped to 3-4-1 overall, while the Owls improved their overall record to 4-3-1. Each of the Hawks four losses in 2009 have been decided by a single goal.
With the game deadlocked at zero heading into the halftime, Temple got the scoring started when Francois Sagna reached the back of the net in the 50th minute. Sagna proved to be the winner in a one-on-one situation with Hartford keeper Nenad Cudic, putting the Owls on the scoreboard at 49:57.
The Owls lead was short-lived as the Hawks heated up the attack and netted the equalizer just seven minutes later. Senior forward Carlos Villa received a ball from rookie James Stamopoulos and finished it from six yards out in the 57th minute to knot the score at 1-1.
Temple's Augustin Coly notched what would be the game-winner in the 67th minute, finding the rebound on a deflected free-kick and heading it home past Cudic to give the Owls the 2-1 advantage. JT Noone earned the assist on the play, which was his second of the afternoon.
The Hawks battled through the final 14 minutes in search of the equalizer. Despite seeing five chances in the closing minutes, two of which were on target, Hartford was unsuccessful in putting the tying mark on the scoreboard.
“Today's game was a disappointing loss,” commented Head Coach Dan Gaspar. “Once again, we gave up two soft goals. From our goalkeeper to our defensive line, we need to be honest and take more responsibility.”
Overall, the Hawks held a 21-14 advantage over the Owls in the shots category. In goal, Cudic suffered his fourth loss between the posts, making five saves while allowing two goals. For Temple, Bret Mollon recorded four saves, allowing just one Hartford goal.
Hartford travels down the road to take on in-state rival Central Connecticut State University on Tuesday, September 29 for the final game on its 2009 non-conference schedule. Kick-off is slated for 3:00 p.m. Last season, the Hawks and Blue Devils battled to a 1-1 double overtime stalemate on Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium.
