Appalachian State 3, UNC Asheville 2
BOONE, NC - Facing a 2-0 deficit just 10 minutes into the match, the Appalachian State University men’s soccer team rallied to score three unanswered goals to defeat visiting UNC Asheville, 3-2, Wednesday, September 21 at the ASU Soccer Stadium. Sophomore Tate Parrish (Acworth, Ga./Harrison) scored ASU?s first two goals with Aaron Ammar (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands providing the gamewinner.
The victory moves the Mountaineers to 4-2-0 on the season, while the Bulldogs are still winless at 0-3-1. ASU outshot its foe 27-17 and held a 8-5 advantage in shots on goal.
ASU faltered early as the Bulldogs got on the board in the fourth minute as Daniel Bandoly?s shot deflected off ASU goalkeeper Alec Dufty Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) to the top of the box where Scott Szymanski waited to drive the ball into net. UNC Asheville scored again six minutes later with Ian Willmot booting Bandoly?s cross from the far side into the near corner.
Parrish then responded with the first of his two goals in the 13th minute, heading Juan Obregon?s (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County) free kick into goal near the far post. The next 42 minutes were played with UNC Asheville holding a 2-1 lead before Parrish got the equalizer in the 55th minute. Parrish, slipped through the defense on the near side and collected a flawless pass from the other half of the field engineered by Obregon and Tim Bender (Charlotte, N.C./Wance). Parrish finished off the breakaway by driving the ball into the near corner to tie the match at 2-2.
The Apps’ needed just nine more minutes to hit the gamewinner, set up by Parrish’s free kick that was headed into the far side of the goal by the freshman Ammar.
The final minutes of the contest featured some tense moments as UNC Asheville manufactured a chance to tie the game on a free kick from 16 yards out with five minutes left. The Bulldogs failed to convert on the opportunity, knocking the ball well over the goal. A minute later UNC Asheville had another chance with an open shot off a corner kick, but hit the far post. Afterward the ASU defense was able to kill the game to pick up its fourth win of the season.
ASU continues its non-conference schedule this Saturday with a 1 p.m. game at Mercer in Macon, Ga. The Apps then begin the Southern Conference season on September 28 with a 4 p.m. match at Elon.
NC State 3, Elon 1
RALEIGH, NC - The NC State men’s soccer team picked up another non-conference win Wednesday afternoon, defeating visiting Elon 3-1 at the Method Road Soccer Stadium. The Pack (4-3-1) used three second half goals, including a pair just three minutes apart, to run its record to 4-1-1 over the last six contests. Senior forwards Aaron King and Bryant Salter supplied the firepower for the offense, and the NC State defense limited the Phoenix (4-3-1) to just 10 shots.
The two teams played to a scoreless first half, with neither side registering a clear scoring chance. The game was delayed for 25 minutes, when Elon’s Andrew Jones went down with an apparent leg injury.
The Pack did not waste time in the second half, scoring just over two minutes into the half. Senior John Queeley won the ball on the ride sideline and crossed it to his former high school teammate King at the top of the Elon penalty box. King trapped the ball, and struck a hard shot for his seventh goal of the season at the 47:21 mark.
Elon would tie up the score in the 55th minute. The Phoenix’s Kiki Willis was tripped in the NC State penalty box, and Elon was awarded a penalty shot. Brett Paschall’s penalty kick was saved by NC State keeper Jorge Gonzalez, but it rebounded right back to Paschall and he netted his third goal of the season.
The Pack’s other senior forward, Bryant Salter, then took over scoring two goals in a span of two minutes and 39 seconds. The eventual gamewinner was set up just like the Pack’s first. Queeley once again crossed the ball into Elon’s penalty box, and found Salter on the back post, who one-timed it into the net at the 66:04 mark. Salter struck again at the 68:43 mark for an insurance goal when he used assists from King and sophomore El Hadj Cisse to score his third goal of the season and second of the game. NC State played without two starters, midfielder Ernesto Di Laudo and defender Ronnie Bouemboue.
Gonzalez recorded five saves in the Pack goal for the win, while Elon’s Taylor Saxe finished with two saves.