Nov. 2, 2008

Box Score

• Senior Day Photo Gallery (Coming Soon...)

PHILADELPHIA - Sunday afternoon marked the last time that the men's soccer team's eight seniors would play in McCarthy Stadium. Unfortunately, Rhode Island did not let the seniors go out with a win, as the Explorers dropped a 1-0 game on a late-game goal. The Explorers are now 2-12-3 overall (1-6 Atlantic 10), while the Rams improve to 7-6-3 (3-2-2 Atlantic 10) and keep their playoff hopes alive.

A defensive battle from the start, the teams only took a combined five shots in the first half. The second half was shaping up to be more of the same when the Rams' Reece Markman broke the deadlock in the 79th minute. Markman took a short pass from Domenic Petrarca at the top of the box and shot a grounder through traffic just into the left side of the net.

The Explorers had several chances, including a rocket shot by Ryan Richter that was saved by Ram keeper Chris Pennock. Tom Kalpokas also got a head on a ball just in front of the net but Pennock came up with the save.

The Explorers had the advantage in each major statistical category this afternoon, including a 10-7 lead in shots, a 5-4 lead in corner kicks and registered eight fouls to the Rams' nine.

Kalpokas led all players by taking four of the Explorers' 10 shots, with three of those being on goal. Michael Pio also saw significant time today and launched two shots, one on goal.

Explorer keeper Andrew Bernhard registered three saves in the effort and Pennock came up with seven stops in the win for the Rams.

The Explorers will hit the road for the last weekend of play, but will not be straying far from 20th and Olney. They head across town to Saint Joseph's on Friday (11/7) for a 7:30 PM tilt and wrap up 2008 just down Broad Street at Temple on Sunday (11/9) at 1:00 PM.