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Alex Graver vs Husson
James Liebowitz
7
Winner Southern Me. USM (5-4-9, 3-1-4)
1
Plymouth St. PSU (4-12-1, 1-6-1)
Winner
Southern Me. USM
(5-4-9, 3-1-4)
7
Final
1
Plymouth St. PSU
(4-12-1, 1-6-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Southern Me. USM 5 2 7
Plymouth St. PSU 1 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Christina Cracolici, Director of Athletic Communications

Southern Maine Runs Over Plymouth State 7-1

PLYMOUTH, NH   -  Junior Alex Graver (Freeport, Maine) scored a first-half hat trick and the University of Southern Maine Huskies rolled to a 7-1 win over the Plymouth State University Panthers in a Little East Conference men's soccer game Wednesday afternoon at Arold Field.
 
With the win, Southern Maine locks up the third seed and a home playoff quarterfinal for the 2025 Little East Conference Men's Soccer Championship.  Southern Maine will host sixth-seed Rhode Island College on Saturday (tba) at Hannaford Field. It marks the first time since the 2008 season that the Huskies will host a home playoff game.
 
The Records:
Southern Maine (5-4-9, 3-1-4 LEC)
Plymouth State (4-12-1, 1-6-1 LEC)
 
Today's game marked the 78th meeting between the University of Southern Maine and Plymouth State University. The Panthers lead the overall series 57-16-5.  In the last seven seasons the Huskies are 3-2-2 against Plymouth State.
 
 
 
How It Happened:
  • Southern Maine scored three times in the opening 20 minutes taking control of the game early with a goal in the fifth minute from junior Jack Brady (Jensen Beach, Fla.) off of an assist from sophomore Martin Kelly (Portland, Maine). 
  • Graver made it 2-0 less than six minutes later with an unassisted 11th minute goal, and the made it 3-0 in the 20th completing an assist from Kelly.
  • Plymouth State got on the board in the 23rd minute to trail 3-1 as Rowan McCarthy scored his first goal of 2025 off of an assist from Luke McLaughlin.  However, Graver notched his hat trick in the 30th minute to return USM to a three-goal advantage on an assist from Brady at 4-1
  • Southern Maine to a commanding 5-1 lead into the halftime break as junior Nick Mauro (Cape Neddick, Maine/York) scored in the 35th.
  • Comfortably ahead in the second half, the Huskies scored two more times for the 7-1 final.  Senior Brian Balch (Saranac, NY) had goal in the 58th minute and senior Paul Liwanga (Portland, Maine/Baxter Academy) added on in the 81st.  Both Balch and Liwanga recorded the first goals of their intercollegiate careers.
 
The Goalkeepers:
SM: Gabe Wagner (3-4-7), 45:00, 1 GA, 2 Saves; Lukas Hammond, 45:00, 0 GA, 5 Saves
PSU: Kole Matta (2-10-1), 84:08, 7 GA, 2 Saves; Trevor Spofford, 5:52, 0 GA, 0 Saves
 
Inside The Stats:
  • The Huskies' seven goals are the most against a conference opponent since a 5-0 win over Keene State during the 2008 season.  It is also the most goals against any opponent since a 9-0 win over the University of New England in 1984.
  • Graver's hat trick gives him seven goals this season. The most by a Husky since Benjamin Musese scored eight in 2018.
 
Up Next:
The Huskies will compete in the 2025 Little East Conference tournament begins on Saturday, November 1.  Southern Maine will host Rhode Island College on Saturday at a time to be determined.  The winner will advance to the semifinal round and will face UMass Boston on Wednesday, November 5 (tba).
 
           
 
-cac-
 
 
 
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