Furman 1, #25 College of Charleston 0
Greenville, S.C. -- Michael Channell scored in the 63rd minute and Alec Kann notched his fifth shutout as Furman slipped past 25th-ranked College of Charleston, 1-0, in a battle of the only two unbeaten teams in Southern Conference men's soccer on Friday night at Stone Stadium.
With the win, Furman extended its unbeaten streak to five matches while improving to 7-4-4 overall and 3-0-2 in SoCon play. The Cougars fell to 10-3-2 overall and 4-1-1 in the league while having their 12-match unbeaten streak snapped.
Senior Dane Roberts slid a pass to the right side of the box on a two-versus-one breakaway and Channell hammered a 12-yard strike past CofC goalkeeper Kees Heemskerk at 62:10 for the lone goal of the match. The strike marked Channell's third in eight matches this season.
Furman controlled a majority of possession in the first half and outshot the Cougars 7-0, but could not direct a shot on goal as its best chance, a Danny Hojaij shot, rattled the cross bar in the 23rd minute.
Charleston went on the attack to open the second half as substitute George Khoury saw a pair of shots bounce off of the woodwork. After Furman surged ahead on Channell's 63rd minute strike, the Cougars continued to serve crosses and corner kicks into the box, but Kann and the Paladin back line withstood the pressure to register Furman's sixth clean sheet of the season and fourth in its last five matches.
Furman managed a 12-9 edge in shot attempts and 5-2 advantage in shots on goal. The Cougars earned nine corner kicks while surrendering four to the Paladins.
Kann finished with a pair of saves and Heemskerk stopped four shots for CofC.
Furman plays its final non-conference match of the season on Tuesday when it travels to Durham, N.C., to face the 18th-ranked Duke Blue Devils. The Paladins return home on Saturday, October 30, to entertain UNC Greensboro at 7 p.m.
The Cougars close out SoCon regular season play by hosting Appalachian State, next Saturday, Oct. 30 at 2 p.m.
UNCG 4, Gardner-Webb 1
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Sophomore Hakan Ilhan had two goals and an assist as UNCG ran its unbeaten streak to five straight with a 4-1 win at Gardner-Webb on Friday night, spoiling Homecoming for the host Bulldogs.
Ilhan, a native of Stuttgart, Germany, overshadowed Brian Graham's fourth goal in the last five days by recording a five-point night of his own. Graham finished with a goal and an assist to give him 10 points in the last five days.
The Spartans (7-5-3) took a 1-0 lead midway through the first half on Graham's sixth tally of the year. A cross from Michael Bonilla found Ilhan. Ilham tipped it to Graham, who chipped it home for the lead.
Ilhan scored twice in a 103-second span early in the second half to put the game out of reach. Graham's cross into the box from the right wing found Ilhan, who tucked it just inside the left post for a 2-0 lead. Then, Ilhan scored when goalkeeper Adam Garcia fumbled a ball in the box and llhan one-timed into home for his sixth goal of the season, tying Graham for the team lead.
Gardner-Webb's Stephen Webb's wrecked the shutout with his first career goal with 11:12 to play when he scored off a Chikioke Akujuobi feed. The Spartans got the goal right back less than four minutes later, however, when Adam Shore registered an unassisted tally, his second goal of the year.
Peyton Ford made two saves to record the win in goal for UNCG, which is now 3-0-2 in its last five matches. UNCG had a 15-12 advantage in shots on the night.
The Spartans return to action on Tuesday night when they go back into conference play, hosting Appalachian State at 7 p.m.