Elon 1, #1 Wake Forest 1 (2OT)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Behind a goal from reigning Southern Conference Men's Soccer Player of the Week, Justin Wyatt, the Elon Phoenix earned a 1-1 tie with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, the nation's top-ranked team, on Tuesday night. The tie was the first blemish on the record for Wake Forest who now sits at 7-0-1. Elon ran its unbeaten streak to seven games and now owns a 5-2-3 mark.
Wyatt put the Phoenix on top just before the half with his team-leading sixth score of the season. Wyatt's blast went to the top left corner of the goal from 15 yards out. The score was set-up by Brett Paschall playing the ball to Brad Franks who then sent a beautiful cross to Wyatt for the score at 42:22. It was just the third goal allowed by the Demon Deacons all season and snapped a streak of four consecutive shutouts.
Wake Forest, who advanced to the national semifinals a year ago, got the equallizer at 73:30 when Ike Opara banged the ball home following a corner kick and a flurry of action in front of the Phoenix goal. The score was the first of the season for Opara.
The first overtime period was fairly quiet as Wake Forest took the only shot of the 10 minute stanza.
The Deacons came out firing in the second OT, however, testing Elon's Clint Irwin with three shots on goal, including two in the first two minutes. Irwin was up to the challenge and turned away all three shots to preserve the tie.
On the night, Elon was outshot 18-5, including 6-2 on goal, but the Phoenix defense held. The Deacons earned 11 corner kicks to six for the Phoenix.
Irwin finished the night with five saves. His counterpart, Akiri Fitzgerald tallied one stop.
With his assist in this game, Paschall moved into fifth place on Elon's all-time points list with 56. The senior has 11 points this year and moved past Dave Myers (1991-93) who had 55 points during his career.
Elon will try to run its unbeaten streak to eight games when the Phoenix hosts SoCon rival Appalachian State at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night from Rudd Field.
-- ELON --
Clemson 6, Georgia Southern 1
CLEMSON, S.C. ? The Georgia Southern men’s soccer team fell, Tuesday evening to host Clemson by a 6-1 decision at Riggs Field in front of 964 fans.
With the loss, the Eagles fall to 4-7-0 overall, while the Tigers snap a four-game winless streak and improve to 4-5-1 overall.
Though Georgia Southern’s Daniel Smith (Marietta, Ga.) tallied the game’s first shot, it was the Tigers that claimed the first goal. Clemson’s Tate Parrish found the back of the net in the 15th minute to take the early 1-0 lead. It was Parrish’s first of a trio of goals scored on the day.
The Tigers added two more winners in the 27th and 29th minutes, both coming off the foot of Nathan Thornton for a 3-0 advantage.
Smith fired another shot in the 32nd minute, but it went high, and the Tigers went into the locker room with the lead.
Clemson held a decided advantage in shots (10-2) in the first stanza, while edging the Eagles in corner kicks, 3-1.
In the second half, the Eagles turned up the offensive threat, tallying eight shots, six of which were on goal.
But Clemson continued the momentum from the first half into the second, adding three more insurance goals before Georgia Southern midfielder BJ Reine (Baton Rouge, La.) broke the scoring drought in the 88th minute, putting the Eagles up on the scoreboard. Reine’s goal ? his second on the season ? was assisted by freshman David Leonard (Augusta, Ga.).
The Tigers edged the Eagles 9-8 in second half shots, while both teams tallied three corner kicks, apiece.
Sophomore Matt Crowell (St. Augustine, Fla.) recorded a team-high two shots on goal.
Goalkeeper Brian Young (Roswell, Ga.) made three saves on the day in a full 90 minutes of play. Starting Clemson keeper Joseph Bendik made one save in the first half, and backup keeper Scott Rosman tallied five saves in the second half.
The Eagles will have a week to prepare for the next contest against USC Upstate, Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. in Spartanburg, S.C.