Sept. 16, 2009

Box Score | Photo Gallery | Puranen's Goal | Postgame Interview with Coach O'Connor

KINGSTON, R.I. - After playing three straight games on the road, the Rhode Island men's soccer team returned to the URI Soccer Complex and suffered a 2-1 setback against Hartford on Wednesday night. Sophomore Erkko Puranen (Viitasaari, Finland) scored Rhody's only goal on the night.

The Hawks (3-1-1) wasted little time getting things started as Vernon Perinchief sent a cross from Pat Boucher past goalkeeper senior Chris Pennock (Spennymoor, England) put Hartford up 1-0 just five minutes into the game. Vernon went on to double the Hawks' lead less than ten minutes later when he found the back of an open net on a feed from James Stamopoulos.

Rhody (2-3-0) came back from the break and cut Hartford's advantage in half just 20 seconds into the second frame when Puranen snuck a shot thru the Hawks' defense after collecting a centering pass from senior Domenic Petrarca (Providence, R.I.). The goal was Puranen's first of the season.

The Rams went on to outshoot Hartford, 9-3, throughout the second frame with perhaps their best chance coming on a shot from junior Jonathan Pereira (Barrington, R.I.) that sailed just over the top right corner of the goal. Freshman Thomas Lindroos (Espoo, Finland) also had a good look as the clock wound down, but his 88th-minute shot was cleared off the line by a Hartford defender.

Rhody also held a 4-0 corner kick advantage in the second half of play and out-cornered the Hawks 8-1 for the game.

Pennock finished with four saves for the Rams while Hartford's Nenad Cudic turned away two shots on the night.

Rhode Island returns to action on Saturday night when it hosts in-state rival Brown University at 7 p.m. The game will mark the second annual Grassroot Soccer night between the two squads with all proceeds from the match benefitting Grassroot Soccer, an international AIDS awareness and education organization that reaches youth in Africa through soccer clinics.