PIKEVILLE – UPIKE men’s soccer couldn’t get back in the win column on Friday, dropping a narrow 1-0 decision to Salem International.
The scoring chances came early and often for Salem, who got four shots in goal in the first 10 minutes but Bears keeper Anibal Navarro was up to the task.
Salem’s lone goal came after a UPIKE defensive error where a friendly fire collision knocked the ball out of Navarro’s hands and allowed Federico Toschi to tap in an easy goal.
UPIKE didn’t get its first shot off until the 20th minute, but after halftime the Bears were able to get some more momentum going on offense. After the Tigers (6-5-2) nearly scored again on a couple shots that went off the framework early in the second half, UPIKE didn’t surrender a shot on goal for the last 41 minutes.
The Bears’ best scoring chance came in the final minute when Billy Quiteno nearly put home a cross that Salem keeper Bernardo Santos stretched to save.
Pikeville had another chance in the final seconds of a physical match, but the ball fell harmlessly in the box with a lot of contact.
UP NEXT
UPIKE will begin a brutal end of the regular season with four matches in six days. The first of those four matches are a home matchup with Campbellsville at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday at Bob Amos Complex.
(Source: UPIKE Sports Information Office)