College of Charleston 2, Liberty 0
Wilmington, N.C. - Kareem Yearwood and Wes Knight scored goals as the College of Charleston handed Liberty its first loss of the season downing the Flames, 2-0, in Friday afternoon’s opening contest of the UNCW/Jameson Inn Classic at the UNCW Soccer Stadium.
Charleston, ranked sixth in the latest South region poll, improved to 5-0-0 on the season. The Flames, ranked 10th in the South-Atlantic region, fell to 3-1-0.
Like the Flames, the Cougars had allowed only a single shot to reach the back of the net before taking the field on Friday. So, the defensive stalemate which ensued in the first half was hardly unexpected.
The two sides combined to attempt five shots in the first 45 minutes of play, with Liberty owning a 3-2 edge. The Flames also recorded the lone shot on goal during the stanza, forcing Cougar keeper Corbin Waller to make one of his three saves.
The College of Charleston finally broke the ice in the 65th minute, on Yearwood’s fifth goal of the season. Front-line mate Zach Prince looped a short cross into the box from the left side of the field. Yearwood took the feed and deposited it just inside the far post, beating Liberty netminder Paul Gilbert.
In the 69th minute, the Cougars doubled their lead on a corner kick. Knight was able to head Miles Alden-Dunn’s effort into the net, making it 2-0.
Waller and the College of Charleston defense held the Liberty attackers in check the rest of the way, posting their fourth shutout of the season.
For the contest, the Cougars claimed a slim, 7-6 edge in shot attempts, although Liberty took six of the match’s eight corner kicks.
The Cougars take on Coastal Carolina on Sunday at 1:00.
Furman 1, Robert Morris 0
Spartanburg, S.C. -- The 22nd-ranked Furman men’s soccer team grabbed a second half lead and held on late, despite being a man down, to edge Robert Morris 1-0 in the opening round of the Wofford/adidas Invitational Friday night at Snyder Field.
Following a first half the saw Furman dominate possession and hold a 14-4 shot advantage, the Paladins finally got on the board in the 69th minute.
Freshman Dane Roberts slipped behind the Colonial defense and his shot was deflected into the path of fellow freshman Haris Cekic who buried the shot for the only goal of the match.
Robert Morris upped the pressure late as Furman went a man down after Rob Victor was issued a red card in the 72nd minute. Furman withstood the attack to run its season-opening winning streak to five matches.
Goalkeeper Bryan Amos notched his third shutout of the year and Furman posted a commanding 25-11 advantage in shot attempts.
Furman (5-0-0) returns to action when it faces UNC Asheville in the tournament finale Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
UNC Asheville at Wofford ? Postponed
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- The Wofford-UNC Asheville men's soccer match, as part of the Wofford/adidas Invitational, has been postponed due to a series of lightning strikes occuring in the Upstate area Friday night.
The Terriers and Bulldogs began play at 6 p.m. only to have the first halt called at 10:53 of the first half. Following a near-40 minute delay, the game resumed and then was postponed again nearly 10 minutes later. With a variety of lightning strikes continuing and the game not able to be resumed by the NCAA-imposed 9 p.m. deadline, the game was called by officials, coaches and support staff of both teams.
Furman garnered a 1-0 victory in the earlier match Friday against Robert Morris. Despite the Paladins dominating much of the offensive attack, including holding a 25-11 shot edge, it was not until 68:24 when Furman put the only tally on the scoreboard. Dane Roberts fired an initial shot, which was saved by the Colonial defense right to a wide-open Haris Cekic for the goal.
The Paladins continued to put pressure on the Robert Morris cage despite playing a man down following a red-card situation with just over 18 minutes to play in regulation.
The Wofford/adidas Invitational will continue Sunday at Snyder Field with Wofford hosting Robert Morris in the first match at 1 p.m. Furman and UNC Asheville are set to square off at 3:30 p.m.
The Terriers and Bulldogs have announced they have set a make-up date for tonight's rainout at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15.
Georgia Southern at Winthrop ? Cancelled
ROCK HILL, S.C. ? The Georgia Southern men’s soccer match at Winthrop was cancelled, Friday night, after 49 minutes and 22 seconds of action due to inclement weather.
In the 50th minute of action, the game was suspended because of lightning. After a 15-minute delay, the game was cancelled.
Georgia Southern will face Radford Sunday at noon.
Fans can follow the live stats on-line at the Winthrop Athletics web site. (http://www.winthropeagles.com/livestats/msoccerstats/xlive.htm)