UMass Lowell Tops Molloy 3-2 in NCAA Division II Men's Soccer First Round

BOX SCORE

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Jhony Valencia totaled two goals and an assist and scored the game-winner with just over eight minutes to go as fourth-seeded UMass Lowell topped No. 5 Molloy College 3-2 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championship East Regional at Larkin Field.  The River Hawks improved to 12-3-4 while the Lions, who were making their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, saw their season come to a close at 12-6-2.

UMass Lowell advances to faced top seed Southern New Hampshire on Sunday (Nov. 16) at 1:00 at SNHU's Larkin Field.

Valencia's game-winner broke a 2-2 tie at the 81:55 mark.  Matias Pietropinto played a long right-to-left ball from the corner into Stephen Potcner, who tapped it over to Valencia.  Valencia one-timed a shot from six yards out that got past Molloy keeper Ettore Morelli.

The Lions jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 11:49 into the game.  John-Paul Hughes played a long ball into the box that glanced off the foot of a UML defender and found Emmanuel Gamez, who fired it into the left side of the goal.

UMass Lowell took a 2-1 lead into halftime after scoring two goals in a span of 6:58.  Valencia tied the game at the 18:40 mark on a near carbon-copy of the game-winner, as Potcner took a long cross from Pietropinto and crossed it back in front of the goal to Valencia who put it inside the right post.  The River Hawks' second goal came when they were awarded a penalty kick.  Valencia's bid was snuffed out by Morelli, but Diego Tabares put home the rebound in the 26^th minute.

Molloy would tie the game just 1:20 into the second half.  Gamez was tripped up in the box by UML keeper Ryan Richards when Gamez tried to put home a loose ball.  William Bell converted the penalty kick to tie the contest.

Richards made a pair of saves for UMass Lowell, which outshot Molloy 16-11.  Morelli stopped five shots for Molloy.

UMass Lowell handed SNHU its lone Northeast-10 loss of the season when the two teams played in Lowell on October 29, as the River Hawks prevailed 2-0.