Rio Grande, OH – The (RV) Cumberlands men's soccer team took down #13 Rio Grande by a score of 4-1. The Patriots had three different scorers in the commanding win. The victory is the first over an opponent ranked in the top-15 since the 2020 season.

For the second straight game Stephen Appiah earned a brace, while Antonis Seraphides netted his first career goal and Storm Hollensted scored his first of the season. Alejandro Gonzalez Salinas got on the scorecard three times in the game, with a trio of assists in the match along with one from Appiah. The three assists for Gonzalez Salinas are the most in his career and the most for any Patriot in a single game since the 2020 season.

Rio Grande was able to get on the scoresheet first, scoring in the 15^th minute of play. The Patriots could not clear the ball out and a Red Storm attacker lofted the ball into the upper left part of the goal to take the 1-0 lead.

Just eight minutes later and the Red Storm almost doubled their lead. They had attacker on the break. Pablo Vasquez had to come off his line and he outstretched his arms to make the save.

34 seconds into the second half the Patriots found their equalizer. The Red Storm were playing the ball out of the back when Gonzalez Salinas read the pass, stepping in front to intercept. He dribbled the ball up the left side of the field before crossing to an open Appiah in the middle of the pitch. Appiah knocked the ball in with his right boot, making the score 1-1.

Cumberlands stayed on the attack and their persistency was rewarded in the 71', giving them their first lead of the game. Appiah had the ball at the top of the box and he saw the onrunning Seraphides to his right. Appiah quickly passed it to Seraphides who took one touch and fired it past the keeper for the 2-1, UC lead.

Vasquez had to make one more save in the game, giving him four in the match. He came up with it in the 78^th minute to hold onto the lead. Two minutes later Rio Grande had a pair of players sent off with straight red cards to allow UC to be up 11 to nine players with just nine minutes remaining in the match.

The Patriots took advantage of the Rio Grande being down a couple players by netting two more goals. In the 82', Gonzalez Salinas once again read the URG defense and intercepted a pass deep in Rio Grande's defensive end. Gonzalez Salinas made a square pass to Appiah who floated the ball over the goalkeeper and off the cross bar into the net, for a 3-1 advantage.

The final goal of the game, unsurprisingly, involved Salinas Gonzalez this time coming in the 86^th minute. He fired a shot that the Red Storm goalkeeper pushed away; it bounced to Gonzalez Salinas. As he fell to the ground and tapped the ball to Hollensted who sent the ball into the net.

The game finished with the 4-1 scoreline, giving Rio Grande their first loss of the season. The four goals from UC are the most goals URG has given up since 2017.

Cumberlands will next compete in their first home game of the season. They will host #22 Lyon at the UC Soccer Complex on Saturday, September 10 with a 7PM ET kickoff.
 
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