PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Freshmen Ayoob Musanovic and Matt Spiller scored a trio of goals in Castleton men's soccer's LEC matchup with Plymouth State Saturday afternoon, but none were bigger than Musanovic's game-winner with 42 seconds remaining to lift the Spartans (4-7-2, 2-3-1 LEC) to a 4-3 win over the Panthers on the road.
 
Plymouth (4-6-3, 1-4-2 LEC) got on the scoreboard first on a solo effort from Faisal Abdullah that got past Andres Soto-Burgos, but it took Castleton just 1:22 to respond. Taking advantage of a Panthers turnover in their own end, Spiller collected the ball before sending a diagonal pass to Musanovic, who took a touch and sent a low shot in to level the game at one.
 
Plymouth retook the lead in the 24^th minute, and it appeared the Spartans would enter the break down one, but a late score from Jacob Henderson — his first of the season — tied the game just before halftime.
 
Out of the break, the Panthers once again tried to take the lead, but all five of their shots missed the net before the Spartans took their first lead of the game at the 54:19 mark. Spiller sent a liner from 25 yards out that the opposing keeper was able to get a hand on, but there for the rebound was Musanovic for his first career goal.
 
Castleton fended off an outburst of shots and corners over the next 25 minutes — Soto-Burgos made three of his four saves in the timespan — before ultimately leveling the score for the third time on Faisal's second of the day.
 
With under a minute to go, Musanovic controlled a centering pass from Gonzalaiz Arakaza, beat the Panthers' goalie and sent a shot into the back of the net for his second of the afternoon that would serve as the game-winner, ending a five-game skid and vaulting Castleton into fifth in the conference standings.
 
Next up for the Spartans is a non-conference matchup with Trinity College Sunday, October 16 at 2 p.m. The game will also be Castleton's annual Grassroot Soccer Fundraiser.