Hagerstown Slips Past Men's Soccer

ARNOLD, Md. – The Hagerstown Community College men's soccer team rallied past host Anne Arundel Community College in NJCAA Region 20 action at Siegert Field Thursday evening. Brian Guillen scored in the 15th minute for the Riverhawks.

Ben Rankin scored a goal and assisted two others for Hagerstown (3-3-0).

The Riverhawks' fast tempo game generated 23 shots in the game, with 12 going on cage. Hagerstown keeper Braydon Blair made 11 saves. Meanwhile, the AACC defense limited Hagerstown to five total shots with four on cage.

Finlay Smith headed in a free kick from Rankin in the sixth minute to put Hagerstown on the board. Rankin's free kick came from just inside the corner kick marker.

AACC's goal came in a flurry of action started by Charlie Meehan, who kept a goal kick from clearing the zone and passed it back toward the goal for Ednel Marchany, who moved around the goalkeeper for a wide shot on the empty net. A Hagerstown defender got to the goal line first and kicked the ball out, but Guillen was crashing the net and tapped in the loose ball to tie the game.

Hagerstown took the lead in the 75^th minute and added an insurance goal in the 86^th. First, Johann Avarca played a through ball to Rankin for a near-side shot and a 2-1 lead. Later, Rankin played the ball ahead to Carlos Pazos, who sent the ball just under the diving AACC keeper, Olvin Martinez. Martinez made one save in the second half of the game.

Next up for AACC is a home game against Prince George's Community College at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10.