After appearing in the national rankings last week, men’s soccer have lost two straight games. Photo Credit Siobhan Richards.
The University of Rhode Island Men’s Soccer team traveled to North Carolina on Saturday for a clash with Atlantic 10 foe Davidson, but were defeated 2-1 despite a late push for a comeback.
The Rams struggled out of the gate, allowing a goal just four minutes into the match when Davidson’s Jack Wilson placed a shot inside the far post to take an early lead.
Rhody responded quickly, scoring 44 seconds later when senior midfielder Hugo Guerra carried the ball down the right wing and fizzed a cross into the box. The cross found the feet of fellow midfielder Ivan Montoro, who tapped it into the back of the net, bringing the Rams right back into the match.
Unfortunately, that goal would be the only bright moment in an otherwise-forgetful start for the Rams. The Wildcats of Davidson dominated the first half, owning a majority of the chances and possession until– finally– just six minutes before the end of the half, Davidson’s Connor Smith fired a shot into the bottom right corner, giving the Wildcats the advantage heading into the break.
The second half was all Rhody as they unleashed a barrage of shots on goal. The best chances came within the last three minutes of the match when a free kick by freshman Cian Purcell was headed on goal by junior forward Rafa Villanueva on net and saved by Davidson’s Giacomo Piccardo. The ensuing corner was also saved after it found the feet of Montoro in the 6-yard box. This save effectively sealed the Rams’ fate and gave the team their first conference road loss of the season.
Guerra’s assist capped off an excellent week for him as an individual after he finished with two goals in the previous match, a devastating 3-2 double overtime defeat to Albany. Head Coach Gareth Elliott praised Guerra’s ability to impact the game on the field.
“He is one of many weapons that we have and his pace and ability make him a threat whenever he is out there,” Elliott said.
Redshirt junior defender Zach Drayer also talked about how great of a teammate Guerra is.
“Hugo is a great guy and someone who makes everyone around him better,” he said. “People watch how he works and follow him.”
The loss also means that the Rams have dropped two in a row, putting their record at 5-3-1 and 1-1 in conference play on the season. Elliott was most frustrated with the way the Rams opened the match.
“I just thought we didn’t come ready to play. We had no energy to start and that really hurt us in the end,” he said. “When you are on the road, it is so important to start strong.”
Despite the start, the Rams could take solace in the fact that they were the dominant
team to finish the match.
“As bad as we were in the first half, we definitely showed in the second half how good we can be, and we are going to try and take that into the rest of the season,” Drayer said.
The Rams return home on Saturday to take on St. Bonaventure at 7 p.m.
Drayer looks forward to the matchup and the chance to bounce back after the losing streak.
“We are going to take this week to recoup and, with a big crowd cheering for us, I am very excited for the match,” he said.