Georgia Southern 4, Gardner-Webb 3
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. ? Four different players scored as the Georgia Southern men’s soccer team defeated Gardner-Webb, Saturday afternoon, 4-3.
Forward Jon Cox (Alpharetta, Ga.) scored the game winner in the 85th minute, his third of the season, after receiving a breakaway ball from teammate Calvin Simon (Wilmington, N.C.). The goal put the Eagles up 4-2 with only five minutes remaining in the game.
Earlier in the first half, with 16:06 on the clock, host Gardner-Webb (0-3-2) was the first to tally a goal. Runnin’ Bulldogs Chris Salvaggione scored his first of two on the day.
Senior Brad Mitchum (Snellville, Ga.) tied up the game just 34 seconds later. His second goal of the season came off a penalty kick, which sneaked by keeper Dane Geraci in the lower right corner.
Salvaggione added his second goal at the 17:39 mark to go ahead 2-1, which would be the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ last lead of the match.
Just a minute later, senior Jason Tindall (Roswell, Ga.) stole a ball after cutting off the defender’s passing lane. Moving toward the goal and finding a spot in the top-left corner, Tindall scored his first goal of the season, tying up the match, 2-2.
The Eagles took the lead before the end of the first half when sophomore Daniel Smith (Marietta, Ga.) finished an unassisted goal that came off a steal. Georgia Southern led 3-2 going into the locker room.
Just 2:30 minutes after Cox netted the Eagles’ fourth goal in the second half, Gardner-Webb’s Miguel Pinzon connected on a direct free kick, closing the margin to 4-3. The Runnin’ Bulldogs outshot the Eagles 20-18, but time ran out, and Georgia Southern gained its first win against GWU in just three meetings since 2004.
Junior keeper Brian Young (Roswell, Ga.) earned the win, saving five shots on goal. He improves his record to 3-1, having started for the Eagles in the last two matches.
Georgia Southern (4-2) finished its road trip with two consecutive wins. Head coach Kevin Kennedy and the Eagles return to Eagle Field, Wednesday, Sept. 20, to take on Southern Conference opponent UNC Greensboro. The Eagles’ first SoCon game of the season is slated for 5 p.m.
Elon 1, High Point 1 (2OT)
HIGH POINT, N.C. -- The High Point University men's soccer team played the nationally ranked Elon Phoenix to a 1-1 tie Saturday night at Richard F. Vert Track and Soccer Stadium. The Panthers move to 1-3-2 on the season while #22 Elon moves to 6-2-1.
After a scoreless first half of play, Elon came out of the intermission strong and took a 1-0 lead shortly into the second half (48th minute) when Blake Wertz caught the deflection made by HPU goalkeeper Adam Ross and was able to send it sailing into the back of the net.
In the 73rd minute the Panthers responded when Dan Haywood set the play in motion with a cross into the box. Hilaire Babou was able to head the ball into the right corner of the net to knot the game at 1-1.
In overtime both team's defenses stepped up and kept their opponents from getting a solid look at the goal.
HPU's Ross had three saves on the night while Elon's Taylor Saxe had one. Elon held the advantage in shots with 15 to High Point's four.
Up next for the Phoenix will be a Wednesday night contest with Furman at 7:00 p.m. in Rhodes Stadium.
UCF 1, Furman 0
Spartanburg, S.C. -- Zak Boggs scored on an assist from Cam Jordan with just over five minutes remaining in regulation to lift the UCF Golden Knights to a 1-0 victory over Furman in men’s soccer action Saturday afternoon at Snyder Field in Spartanburg, S.C.
Boggs game-winning tally, at the 84:57 mark, was the first goal surrendered by the Furman defense in over 265 minutes of play dating back to September 3.
The Paladins out shot UCF 16-8, but were unable to crack the Golden Knights’ defense. UCF goalkeeper Marcus Rein stopped six shots to garner the win while Bryan Amos recorded four saves for Furman.
Furman, 4-3-0 on the season, opens Southern Conference play on Wednesday night when it travels to face the Elon Phoenix at 7 p.m.
Charlotte 3, Appalachian State 2 (2OT)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. ? Appalachian State University men’s soccer saw its perfect record come to an end as Charlotte defeated the Mountaineers, 3-2, in double overtime Saturday evening.
The loss, ASU’s first of the season, drops the Mountaineers to 5-1-0 on the overall, while UNCC improves to 3-3-1. Appalachian rallied back from an early 1-0 defict to take a 2-1 lead late in the second half.
However, Charlotte rallied back to tie the match in the 89th minute before scoring the gamewinner in the 103rd minute.
Michael Rose put Charlotte on the board in the third minute to give the 49ers and early 1-0 advantage. UNCC maintained the advantage through the end of the half and until the 79th minute when Happy Hall (Nassau, The Bahamas) tied the match off an assist from Sean Sassano (Gastonia, N.C.).
The Mountaineers took a 2-1 lead in the 88th minute with a goal from Arie Muniz (Spring, Texas) courtesy of a cross from Sassano.
Unfortunately, the Mountaineers could only hold onto the lead for 36 seconds before Charlotte’s Chris Arnold scored the equalizer to force overtime.
The two squads played the first overtime without a goal, but Charlotte only needed three minutes in the second overtime period for Michael Rose to score a breakaway goal to end the match.
The match was rather evenly played with ASU taking 16 shots to Charlotte’s 15. Charlotte was awarded five corner kicks while ASU produced three. Michael Walters (Raleigh, N.C.) and Muniz led Appalachian with three shots each.
Appalachian will try to return to its winning ways on Wednesday, September 20 with a 4 p.m. match at UNC Asheville.