Second-Half Surge Secures Victory For Panthers 

Knoxville, TN - After two long weeks off, The Panthers were back on the home field for a match against a heralded foe from up north. The Cumberland Patriots had just come off of a tie against a top-15 team in the NAIA and had already secured two victories over nationally ranked teams, including the number-one-ranked team. The Patriots are ranked in the NAIA top-25 Poll this week after previously not being ranked.

The team sent its 'B' squad to town to give the main squad a rest after a hard-fought match the previous night. But this didn't deter them from giving everything they had. The first half saw both teams get a goal across, one right after the other. Pellissippi State scored first on a free kick knocked in by Felipe Coehlo in the 23rd minute. The Patriots tied it up in the 35th minute and kept it tied until after the half. Both teams were determined to play aggressively and never let up in either half. 

The Panthers, however, gained new wind in the second half, giving them the energy needed to surge past the Patriots. In the 74th and 75th minutes respectively, Ben Schulz (assisted by Mario Rivera) and Ruben Cardoza (assisted by Felipe Coehlo) both scored goals to give the Panthers a secure lead heading into the final 25 minutes of the match. Thanks to 3 clutch saves by GK Lizzandro Moradel in the half, the Panthers were able to fend off any comeback that the Patriots had in them. 

Final scored Panthers 3, Patriots 1

Pellissippi State now heads east to Raleigh, North Carolina to face off against Wake Tech on Saturday at 7:00 PM pending the weather holds up in the area. Stay tuned here at psccpanthers.com for updates regarding the match.