Furman 1, Davidson 0 (2OT)
Greenville, S.C. -- Junior Chris Davis hammered a Shea Salinas cross into the back of the net in the 104th minute to lift Furman to a 1-0 victory over Davidson and snap a five-game losing streak versus the Wildcats in Southern Conference men’s soccer action Tuesday evening at Stone Soccer Stadium.
“I’m very excited to get this win tonight and pick up three points in conference play,” said Furman head coach Doug Allison. “Shea Salinas did a great job of putting the cross in front of goal and Chris Davis had an outstanding finish.”
With just over six minutes remaining in the second overtime period, Salinas ran onto a long ball down the right wing. The Grapevine, Texas, native reversed field and beat a defender to send a cross into the six yard box that Davis powered past Davidson goalkeeper Ben Ashton at 103:44.
The lone goal of the match marked Davis’ third game-winner of the season.
The win over the Wildcats was Furman’s first since 2002 and it extended the Paladins shutout streak to three consecutive matches and 325 minutes.
Junior Bryan Amos notched four saves to post his sixth clean sheet of the season and third in as many matches.
Ashton recorded five stops, including two leaping efforts that pushed Paladin shots over the cross bar and helped force overtime.
Furman held a 14-10 advantage in shots and 5-4 edge in corner kicks in a contest that included seven cautions.
In a match that saw each team awarded several opportunities to net a winner in regulation, Furman had the best chance in the 35th minute.
Ashton rushed off his line and upended a Paladin attacker to draw a penalty kick, but the game remained deadlocked when Dominic Cianciarulo’s shot from the spot sailed high.
Both teams created attacking runs, but Furman controlled the run of play in the two overtime periods outshooting the Wildcats 4-0. Mark Futrell directed two shots on goal for Furman while Salinas managed five total shots and Cianciarulo registered three. Mac Wilkie paced the Davidson offense with two shots on net.
The win improves Furman to 6-4-1 overall and 1-1-1 in the Southern Conference. Davidson falls to 4-9-0 overall and 0-4-0 in league play.
The four-match losing streak to open SoCon play marks the first such winless start for Davidson since 1977.
Davidson returns to action at Wofford on Friday evening while the Paladins play host to nationally-ranked Clemson at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Appalachian State 1, Elon 1 (2OT)
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University men?s soccer and visiting Elon played a classic duel at the ASU Soccer Stadium on Tuesday evening, ending in a 1-1 draw after 110 minutes of action of the field in a pivotal Southern Conference matchup.
Both teams had what appeared to be solid opportunites to score the golden goal in the second overtime, but neither could finish. With three minutes remaining in the second overtime, Elon?s Kiki Willis engineered a breakaway along the near side. However, ASU goalkeeper Greg Walters (Raleigh, N.C.) came out of the six-yard box to get a good angle on the shot and deflect it with a diving save to his right. After the ensuing corner kick, Arie Muniz (Spring, Texas) put together a breakaway chance of his own, but was denied by Elon keeper Taylor Saxe. Saxe finished the afternoon with eight saves and seemed to be in perfect position all afternoon, especially in the two overtime periods that were largely controlled by ASU. The Phoenix were also forced to play a man down for the final 23 minutes after a player was sent off with a red card.
Elon mustered one final attempt with a foul whistled just outside the 18-yard box as time expired. The free kick, taken with two seconds left, was blocked by the ASU wall to preserve the tie.
The Phoenix scored early on a Willis score off a free kick that ricocheted into goal in the 11th minute. Elon maintained the 1-0 lead until the 77th minute when Muniz collected a Corey Lugger (Irmo, S.C.) through-pass on the far wing and buried the ball into the near corner for his fourth goal of the season. Muniz had three shots on the afternoon, all of them on goal.
Overall, ASU outshot Elon, 20-13, and held a 10-5 advantage in shots on goal. The Phoenix did manage to earn a 10 corner kicks to ASU?s two. Willis paced Elon with three shots in addition to his goal. Both Juan Obregon (Castle Rock, Colo.) and Lugger had four shots for ASU.
Walters stopped two shots in goal, while the ASU back row made two critical team saves.
Appalachian?s record now stands at 6-4-1 overall and 1-1-1 in the league,.
Elon is 8-4-2 overall and 2-1-1 against the SoCon. The Mountaineers will return to action on Saturday, October 7 at UNC Greensboro. Kickoff against the Spartans is scheduled for 7 p.m.
UNC Greensboro 3, Wofford 1
GREENSBORO, NC ? Mike Richarson scored twice in a span of 5:23 to end the threat of an upset and lift UNC Greensboro to a 3-1 win over Wofford in Southern Conference men’s soccer action Tuesday night.
The Terriers (2-9-1, 0-3-0), who have now lost all 12 meetings against the Spartans, had upset on their minds after Phil Beane sent a floater into the goal from 35 yards out to tie the score at 30:39. It was Beane’s first goal of the season and changed the momentum. Prior to that, UNCG had dominated the action, scoring just 13 seconds into the contest and having several other phenomenal chances after that.
The Spartans (8-4-1, 3-0-1), who have won four straight and are unbeaten in their last five, got on the board before the fans could take their seats.
The opening kickoff was played by UNCG down the left side. Matt Mulvena eventually got control on the left side of the box and played it to the front of the goal. Michael FitzGerald was sliding through and one-timed into the net for incredibly quick 1-0 lead.
But Wofford goalkeeper Russ Sandifer was magnificent, recording 13 saves on the night with several stops 1-on-1 with UNCG players. Sandifer stopped All-American Randi Patterson at least twice in 1-on-1 situations. As time ticked away and Sandifer made save after save, Wofford’s confidence seemed to be getting stronger.
Richardson, however, finally broke through for UNCG in the 62nd minute.
Travis Young controlled the ball at the top of the box and played it to Henning Jonasson, who dumped it out to the left side of the box for a waiting Richardson. Richardson, a senior from Dobson, NC weaved his way through three Wofford defenders and hit a blast into the net from 10 yards out to give the Spartans a 2-1 lead at 61:14.
Richardson, who now has 16 points this season after recording just 11 points the last years, notched his fifth goal of the year at 66:37. After a turnover, Richardson made a run towards the top of the box. He hit a blast from 20 yards out that Sandifer got a hand on as he dove to his right, but could not control it and it wound up just inside the post.
Richardson's 16 points this season (5g, 6a) equals his career total entering this season.
UNCG now has a three-point lead in the SoCon standings as Elon tied Appalachian State in Boone, NC on Tuesday, 1-1. The Phoenix (2-1-1) have seven points, followed by College of Charleston with six (2-0-0). The Spartans return to action when they host Appalachian State on Saturday night at 7 pm.
Coastal Carolina 3, College of Charleston 2
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ? Senior Jeremy Gold’s record-tying 24th assist of his career was not enough, as the College of Charleston men’s soccer team suffered a bitter defeat to in-state rival, Coastal Carolina, 3-2, at Patriots Point on Tuesday night.
Kevin Van Den Berg scored three goals in the match for Coastal Carolina (6-5-2) and netted a hat trick for the Chanticleers. His first goal came in the 10th minute of action to give Coastal Carolina the advantage over CofC (7-5-1), 1-0.
The Cougars responded with a goal in the 10th minute from freshman Zach Prince, his second of the season, to tie the match, 1-1. Senior Jeremy Gold received credit for the assist, the 24th of his career. He is now tied for the all-time career assists lead in CofC history with Scott Clayton, who played for the Cougars from 1992-5.
Coastal Carolina responded in the 29th minute with another goal from Van Den Berg. The goal was unassisted.
Senior Scott Milroth netted home a corner kick from junior Miles Alden-Dunn in the 44th minute of action to tie the match for the Cougars, 2-2.
At the end of the first half, CofC attempted six shots and three corner kicks, while Coastal Carolina took three shots and one corner kick.
The Cougars continued to apply offensive pressure to Coastal Carolina and almost were rewarded with a goal from Gold, but his shot in the 60th minute hit the crossbar.
Van Den Berg scored his third and final goal of the match in the 65th minute of action to give the Chanticleers the final advantage, 3-2. Mkheli Dube received credit for the assist.
Overall, the Cougars had twelve shots in the match and attempted 7 corner kicks, while the Chanticleers attempted four shots and two corner kicks.
The Cougars return to action on Oct. 5 against SoCon foe Georgia Southern at Patriots Point. The match will begin at 6 p.m.