Point Park men’s soccer took its second loss in a row at home against the Frostburg State Bobcats, losing 1-0 on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Highmark Stadium.
This was Point Park’s second time playing against Frostburg State, with the first game ending 3-1 in a Pioneer win.
“After playing Frostburg for the second time, I feel that we couldn’t really find our rhythm or adapt in a way that would bring out our best performance,” team captain David Ali said.
Point Park ended the game with an overall record of 5-9-1 and 3-9-1 in the Mountain East Conference (MEC). Frostburg leaves Highmark with a record of 8-6-1 overall and 6-5-1 in the conference.
“Offensively, we’ve struggled to find the solutions we need to score, and without goals, it’s impossible to win,” Ali said. “This has really been our biggest setback this season.”
The first half was a battle for possession between the two teams, as both pressed each other defensively, refusing to let up either offense. The first half ended with a score of 0-0.
Point Park entered halftime with eight shots, two saves, one corner kick and five fouls. Frostburg entered halftime with four shots, two saves, one corner kick and four fouls. Despite having more shots, Point Park ultimately couldn’t make it.
“I felt we matched up well against Frostburg and had the better chances throughout the game,” Point Park’s Nils Benning said. “Going into halftime at 0-0, I was confident we could turn those chances into goals, but unfortunately, that one long ball right after halftime caught us off guard.”
The Pioneers headed into the second half with a strong force. However, they were unable to stop the goal by Bobcat Carlos Quintero Rivas assisted by Hugo Portillo in the 46th minute. Point Park was unable to come back from the goal and the game ended 1-0.
“[Frostburg’s goal] was a tough break, especially since we kept pressing and had them on their heels for much of the second half,” Benning said. “Despite that, we maintained our focus and kept creating opportunities, yet the finishing touch just wasn’t there, which has been a challenge for us this season.”
In the second half, the Pioneers left with nine shots, six saves, four corner kicks and four fouls, while the Bobcats left with 10 shots, six saves, four corner kicks and four fouls.
The second half was more aggressive, with all yellow cards being called in the second half. Point Park and Frostburg both received two yellow cards, the Pioneers’ in the beginning and both of Frostburg’s within the last minute of the game.
“As we approach the end of the regular season, our focus is on rediscovering the joy of playing together, and that all starts in training.” Ali said.
Point Park is set to have two more matches in the regular season. The Pioneers will face Davis & Elkins College on Wednesday, Oct. 30, and Salem University on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at home for senior night.
“We need to keep focusing on the next opponent,” coach Cameron Williams said. “We know and believe that we can still get into the playoffs. We have to stay together and work together to make that happen.”
The Pioneers sit at seventh place in the MEC out of eight teams. They are behind West Liberty (3-7-1) and West Virginia Wesleyan (3-7-2).
Further news and updates on Point Park soccer can be found online at pointparksports.com or @pointparksoccer on Instagram.
