ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. – The St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s soccer team suffered their fourth consecutive shutout loss on Saturday afternoon, falling 2-0 to Bridgewater College (Va.) at JLR Stadium. The defeat drops the Seahawks’ record to 1-4-1 on the season, while Bridgewater improves to 4-1-2.
Despite outshooting their opponents 13-11, St. Mary’s College was unable to find the back of the net, extending their scoring drought to 435:38 minutes. The Seahawks’ last goal came over four games ago.
Bridgewater opened the scoring in the 21st minute when Trey Widrick capitalized on a defensive lapse. Widrick lofted a shot over sophomore goalkeeper Zack Reed (Leonardtown, Md./Leonardtown), who was caught out of position. The goal was Widrick’s fourth of the season.
The Eagles had opportunities to extend their lead midway through the first half, earning two penalty kicks within six minutes. Riley Queen missed the first attempt wide, while Reed saved Gavin Kast’s effort. Reed then made another save on Widrick’s follow-up shot from the ensuing corner kick.
Kast redeemed himself six minutes before halftime, doubling Bridgewater’s advantage by finishing a pass from Tony Chavez to make it 2-0.
St. Mary’s College showed improved offensive pressure in the second half, outshooting Bridgewater 8-3. However, Eagles goalkeeper Charles Schweinefuss was up to the task, making several key saves to preserve the clean sheet.
The Seahawks thought they had pulled one back late in the game when freshman midfielder Zach Blaum (Richmond, Va./Atlee) found the net, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside call.
Reed finished with five saves for St. Mary’s College, while Schweinefuss recorded eight stops for Bridgewater, earning his third shutout of the season.
The Seahawks’ offense was led by sophomore midfielder Braden Kindred (Olney, Md./Sherwood), senior forward Abdoul Anounkou (Togo/Springbrook [Md.]), and senior forward Alex Ochman (Rockville, Md./T.S. Wootton), who each registered three shots.
Despite the loss, St. Mary’s College held a slight edge in both shots (13-11) and corner kicks (6-4). The Seahawks managed to put eight of their 13 shots on target, compared to Bridgewater’s seven on-target attempts out of 11 total shots.
Widrick was the most active offensive player for Bridgewater, leading his team with four shots.
The match highlighted St. Mary’s College’s ongoing offensive struggles, as they have now been held scoreless in four straight contests. The team will look to break this scoring drought and get back in the win column in their next match.
St. Mary’s College returns to action on September 21, hosting Stevenson University (1-3-1) at JLR Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 pm.
As the Seahawks prepare for their upcoming match, they will need to focus on converting their scoring chances and maintaining their defensive organization throughout the full 90 minutes. With a week to prepare, the team has an opportunity to regroup and strategize ways to end their scoring slump against Stevenson.
The match against Stevenson presents a crucial opportunity for St. Mary’s College to regain their offensive form and build momentum as they progress through their season. Both teams enter the contest with similar records, setting the stage for a competitive and potentially pivotal match in the Seahawks’ campaign.
