SSU men drop 3-0 decision to Campbellsville in season opener

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. -- There's always something to be said about a strong effort.

For nearly 65 full minutes, the men's soccer program at Shawnee State made the Campbellsville Tigers' men's soccer program sweat in a battle between two former conference rivals Wednesday evening at Finley Stadium -- as the Bears, behind a stingy defensive effort from its backline as well as senior goalkeeper Eric Green, kept the nonconference match deadlocked in a scoreless tie.

Unfortunately, Campbellsville's quick strike offense was able to cash in, as the Tigers utilized their depth to pull away late in what ultimately ended up being a 3-0 decision in favor of the Tigers.

Both teams proved to be strong defensively, as SSU and Campbellsville combined to take 20 shots over the entirety of the match.

The Bears, who held firm in the defensive backfield, allowed just five shots by the Tigers in the opening half of play as Campbellsville, who won 15 games last season, struggled to find breathing room against a stout Shawnee State defense led by standout veterans Nikos Pontikis and Guilherme Belo Bitencourt and newcomer João Coqueti Léo, along with defensive reserves Clement Akanyah, Sean Williams and Cameron Thompson.

Green, who made three first half saves, and Coqueti Leo each had their moments of brilliance in the second half.

In the 60th minute, Green and Campbellsville forward Jarred Hendricks collided as both players went for the ball, resulting in Green falling down.

Hendricks, who managed to stay upright, launched an off-balance shot that seemed destined for the back of the net -- but Coqueti Leo stayed with the play, caught up to Hendricks' shot attempt and cleared the ball behind Green, keeping the contest scoreless.

Four minutes later, Green made a great play of his own, making an athletic dive to his right to intercept a Campbellsville cross attempt to again keep the game locked in a 0-0 tie.

However, Hendricks -- who finished with a game-high five shots and three on goal -- ultimately captialized in the 64th. Harry Freeman scored in the 72nd before Hendricks posted the game's final goal in the 88th.

Shawnee State (0-1) will turn its attention to an away contest against Mount Vernon Nazarene Saturday evening at CH4 Stadium in Mount Vernon, Ohio.