Williamsburg, KY – A trio of goals during the first half of play from the 12th ranked Patriots leads UC to a 4-2 victory over the (RV) University of Rio Grande Red Storm. The Pats had four different goal scorers, coming off the boots of Tjerk Meijs, Mario Fernandez Garcia, Rodrigo Riveros, and Shuma Sasaki.
Collectively, UC tallied 13 shots with 11 being on frame. Sasaki led the way with two shots, two being on frame, one goal, and one assist. Fernandez Garcia followed with one shot with one being on frame, one goal, and one assist. Riveros and Meijs each had a goal apiece.
The Pats wasted no time on the offensive half of the field. In the first five minutes of play, a foul on the Red Storm set Emil Skursch up for a free kick. Skursch booted the ball to the left post for the header off Meijs, giving UC a 1-0 lead early on.
In the 14', Sasaki set the stage for UC's second goal of the game with a pass up field to Salvador Martinez. Martinez sent a shot across the box to Fernandez Garcia for a 2-0 Patriot advantage over the Red Storm.
The Red Storm were quiet offensively, until Pats goalie Javiero Izquierdo Cuervo recorded his first save of the game in the 21st minute.
In the 31', tricky footwork from Fernandez Garcia left the Red Storm defense trailing behind for the pass across the box to Riveros. Riveros flicks the ball over a Rio defender before netting it and securing a 3-0 lead going into the half.
Trailing by three goals, the Red Storm was unsatisfied and netted their first goal of the game in the 64'.
Cumberlands quickly responded, seeing Sasaki dribbling up field and splitting through defenders to strike the ball into the back of the net. Sasaki's goal elevated UC to a 4-1 lead with 23 minutes remaining.
Both teams were evenly matched until a foul from the Patriots resulted in a penalty kick for the Red Storm. Rio Grande took advantage of the opportunity and netted their second goal of the match, cutting the deficit to 4-2.
With less than eight minutes remaining, the Pats managed to keep the ball on the offensive half of the field. A late shot from Bruno Marques and a shot on frame from Meijs looked to add to UC's lead but held off the Red Storm for a 4-2 Patriots victory.
Cumberlands opens Mid-South Conference play with a road-trip to Henderson, TN to face Freed-Hardeman University. The match is set for Saturday, September 28 with a kickoff time of 5:00 p.m. (EST).
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