Mason men's soccer defeats UMass 2-1

Mason men's soccer team keeps their second half momentum going against UMass (photo by Gopi Raghu).

The Mason men’s soccer team defeated Massachusetts 2-1 on Sunday with a dramatic goal in the 81^st minute.

UMass got the early lead when they scored in the 18^th minute on a header by defender Matt Keys off a Josh Schwartz corner kick. Mason had opportunities at the end of the first half but was unable to capitalize. The Patriots had 5 corner kicks in the first half, and Umass scored on the only shot they had on goal.

“Being down 1-0 early in the first half was tough, but Steffen [Kraus] played brilliantly and kept us in the game,” said Mason head coach Greg Andrulis. “We felt like if we were able to keep it close at 1-0, we could get a couple goals in the second half.”

Mason broke through in the 47^th minute when senior defender Hugh Roberts had a shot go off the crossbar, and midfielder Zach Herstek was able to finish off the goal. Roberts was credited with the assist on the play.

“We really tried to push the ball. UMass played back in the second half more so we were able to push harder and create opportunities,” said Andrulis.

Mason dominated possession of the ball in the second half, creating numerous scoring chances. Junior forward Timi Mulgrew finally broke the tie on a beautiful shot in the 81^st minute. The Patriots outshot UMass 13-4 in the game.

The win lifts Mason to 6-2-1 overall and 1-0 in Atlantic 10 conference play. With the loss, UMass dropped to 1-10-1 overall and 0-2 in conference play. The Patriots are on a two game winning streak heading into their next matchup against conference rival Virginia Commonwealth University on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. at home.  

“This conference has some really tough teams coming up,” said Andrulis. “VCU has been really tough lately and they’ve played excellently, so we need to be at the top of our game to keep this momentum going.”