Box Score

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Playing short-handed for the final 50 minutes of the contest – including down two players for the final 14 minutes – the Shippensburg University men's soccer team was unable to complete a valiant comeback against visiting Chestnut Hill on Friday night in the season opener, losing 3-2 from David See Field in the second game of the 2012 Raider Classic.

With the game scoreless at the 40-minute mark in the first half, the Raiders were forced to play a man down for the remainder of the game after receiving a red card. Chestnut Hill capitalized just 16 seconds into the second period with a Patrick Steger feed that found the foot of Darryl Richardson, whose shot went over the head of senior SU goalkeeper Clay Sale for the first goal of the game.

The Griffins extended the lead four minutes later with the first of two goals in a 15-minute span from Steger.

Down 3-0 with 18 minutes left, senior Austin Hill scored the Raiders' first goal of the season unassisted after blasting home a loose ricochet off a corner kick for the defender's sixth career score. Just under three minutes later, however, Shippensburg received its second red card of the night and was forced to play 9-on-11 for the final 14 minutes of play.

The Raiders weren't finished, however, as sophomore James Connor cut the deficit to one at the 79th minute with a header off a corner kick from senior Sam Talbot for his first career goal. SU still managed several chances in the final 10 minutes – including multiple corners and crosses – but were unable to connect on an equalizer.

Shippensburg had several chances in the first half as well, including a Talbot shot that hit the crossbar and a scoring opportunity on a breakaway from sophomore Fred Lucas, whose shot found the Chestnut Hill goalie.

Freshman Derek Adams and junior transfers Patrick Urmson and Josh Gannon all made their Shippensburg debuts in the loss, with Adams and Urmson each earning starts.

The Raiders out-shot Chestnut Hill 26-8 and finished with a 6-1 edge in corner kicks. Lucas and Urmson led all players in shots, with seven and five respectively. Sale earned the start in goal and finished with a save, while Chestnut Hill goalkeeper David Sullivan posted 13 saves.