MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Hakan Ilhan's header inside the near post in the first overtime period broke a scoreless tie and gave No. 1 seed UNCG a 1-0 win over No. 4 seed Appalachian State in the first semifinal of the 2010 Southern Conference Men's Soccer Championship at the Patriots Point Athletics Complex in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
The Spartans (11-5-4) advance to the championship match Sunday at 1 p.m., where they will face either Furman or Davidson.
"It was a fantastic effort," said UNCG head coach Justin Maullin. "It was a difficult game because Appalachian State made it difficult."
UNCG controlled possession for much of the match, firing 21 shots to ASU's five as well as a 4-0 edge in overtime. The Mountaineers' efforts were well-placed, however, with three shots on goal.
Appalachian State's best chance on the evening was a Bruno Mbamala header in the 25th minute, which UNCG's Peyton Ford saved with a diving effort.
"They put 11 players behind the ball, and it was tough for us to get it down the middle," commented Maullin. "We made a halftime adjustment to get the ball wide, and on the second set piece there in overtime, we got the game-winner."
Ilhan's 11th tally of the season came from an Aaron Reifschneider corner kick at the 94:35 mark. The freshman sent a low swinging ball to the near post where Ilhan directed it past ASU's Collin Taylor.
"We had to be patient and had to wait for our chances," said Ilhan. "And we used a good set piece to win the game."
Taylor stopped four shots on evening for the Mountaineers while Ford recorded three saves in earning his fifth shutout of the season.
Appalachian State concludes the 2010 campaign with an 8-8-3 overall record.
Go to SoConPhotos.com to see all of the shots taken during the 2010 Southern Conference Men's Soccer Championship.