STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern Men's Soccer team lost a heartbreaker at a rain-soaked Eagle Field on Wednesday (September 29), falling 2-1 in overtime to Furman in the Southern Conference opener for both teams.

Jon Cox (Alpharetta, Ga.) gave the Eagles (3-3-1, 0-1-0) the lead in the 40th minute, beating Furman goalkeeper Alec Kann to the ball at the edge of the 18-yard box. With Kann out of position, Cox put the ball into the open net for his third goal of the season. Luigi Clendening (Augusta, Ga.) was credited with the assist.

The Eagles held the lead until Brooks Duff scored the equalizer for Furman (5-3-1, 1-0-0) with less than two and a half minutes to go in regulation. Michael Gandier played the ball into the box, and Duff beat Georgia Southern goalkeeper Ryan Platt (Preston, England) to the right post from just inside the penalty area.

Duff struck again with the game-winner less than four minutes into the overtime period. The Eagles were called for a handball, giving Furman a free-kick 30 yards in front of the goal. Josh Fusan kicked it across the box, and Duff ran on, bouncing it off the near post and into the net to end the game.

Platt finished the game with four saves, stopping three shots in the second half as Furman desperately tried to even the score. The Eagle defense played solid, even going through a string of three consecutive corner kicks without allowing the Paladins to take a shot, but in the end, Georgia Southern couldn't keep the clean sheet.

The Eagles continue Southern Conference play on Saturday, October 2, taking on Appalachian State in Boone, N.C., at 1 p.m. Furman steps out of league play with a visit to Charlotte, Saturday night at 7 p.m.

Davidson 1, Radford 1 (2 OT)

DAVIDSON, N.C. - Sophomore Brian McGue netted his first goal of the season in the 53rd minute to put Davidson on top, but Radford evened the match in the 54th minute and warded off the Wildcats' attack to preserve a 1-1 draw in non-conference men's soccer action on a rainy Wednesday night in Alumni Stadium.

Davidson (4-2-3) outshot Radford (3-2-2), 19-12 and held the advantage in possession, but struggled to break through the Highlanders' tight defense.

Precise passing resulted in Davidson's first goal with one-touch passes from junior Mark Millard (Oak Ridge, N.C.) and senior Josh Zipln (Silver Spring, Md.) to McGue (Dublin, Ohio). McGue's solid strike sailed past Radford goalkeeper Joey Dennis for the goal.

Radford responded just over a minute later off a corner kick. Mike Handlin played the kick in short, where Iyiola Awosika passed back out to Handlin right of the net at the top of the 18-yard box. Handlin blasted shot that sailed into the top of the net for the equalizing goal.

Both teams had chances in extra time, but neither was able to convert. Dennis and Davidson sophomore goalkeeper Chip Sanders (Thomasville, Ga.) both made five saves. Senior Alex Caskey and freshman Alex Givens led the 'Cats in shots with four each.

Davidson will play the next four games on the road, beginning at College of Charleston Saturday at 4 p.m. The match will be their second Southern Conference contest of the season.