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GAMEDAY REPORT: Newton Reaches Milestone as Penalty Save Keys Indy Win

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 08/15/20, 9:13PM EDT

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10-man hosts hold out Riverhounds SC in 1-0 win as goalkeeper records 50th regular season shutout

INDIANAPOLIS – Evan Newton made a decisive penalty kick save on his way to the 50th regular season shutout of his USL Championship career as Indy Eleven earned a 1-0 victory against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday night despite playing most of the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium reduced to 10 men.

Newton is the first goalkeeper in the Championship’s history to record a half-century of shutouts, while also remaining the league’s all-time leader in regular-season saves.

Looking to break a two-game winless streak, the hosts almost found an early goal in the seventh minute as Andrew Carleton played Tyler Pasher in behind the Hounds’ defense, but Skylar Thomas recovered well to make a decisive challenge to deny the Golden Boot candidate a chance to add to this tally for the season. The Hounds then dealt with the ensuing corner as the game remained scoreless.

There was nothing the Hounds defense could do in the 14th minute, however, as Carleton’s looping pass saw Pasher time his run in behind perfectly. The Canadian broke into the penalty area, rounded Pittsburgh goalkeeper Tomas Gomez and finished into an open net for his eighth goal of the season.

The Hounds almost found an answer just before the half-hour mark as a floated free kick by Kenardo Forbes caused problems in the Indy penalty area, but Evan Newton came up with a key save to deny Thomas as he slid in to put a shot on goal.

Pittsburgh was handed a big chance to level five minutes into the second half, however, as Indy’s Ayoze was sent off for handling on the goal line after the Hounds’ Thomas Vancaeyezeele had fired a header goalward off a corner kick. Robbie Mertz stepped up to take the ensuing penalty kick, but his low shot to the left was denied by Newton as he gathered the ball to offer no rebound opportunity.

The Hounds made the most of their man-advantage with sustained periods of pressure on the Indy defense in the final half-hour of the game, but the Boys in Blue gave very little away as they held their visitors to only five shot for the game. Karl Ouimette produced nine defensive clearances, while Mitchell Osmond added another five.

As a result, Newton’s penalty save proved the last he would have to make for the contest on a historic night for the veteran goalkeeper.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Evan Newton, Indy Eleven – Newton’s 50th regular-season shutout in the Championship was capped by a stellar penalty kick save, one of three saves overall on the night.

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