UNCG 5, Georgia Southern 0
GREENSBORO, N.C.-UNCG men's soccer needed a win and some help to stay alive in the Southern Conference regular-season race. The Spartans got both on Tuesday night.
Hakan Ilhan and Austin Miller each scored twice, Oddur Gudmundsson added three assists and a goal of his own, and Peyton Ford recorded his fourth straight shutout as UNCG posted a 5-0 victory over SoCon-leading Georgia Southern. Coupled with Appalachian State's 1-0 home loss to Wofford, the Spartans are alone atop the conference standings with one match remaining.
The Spartans can clinch their second straight SoCon regular season title with either a win Saturday at Elon, or an Appalachian State loss at Davidson the same day.
Miller opened the scoring for UNCG (7-7-1 overall, 4-1-1 SoCon) in the 37th minute, finding the back of the net from the right side on the first of Gudmundsson's three assists to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead.
Ilhan upped UNCG's lead to 2-0 in the 56th minute, working a perfect give-and-go with Gudmundsson for 15 yards out.
Instead of sitting back on the lead the Spartans kept attacking, finally breaking the match open with less than 10 minutes remaining.
Miller made it a 3-0 affair in the 82nd minute when he scored off a thru ball by Gudmundsson. Miller and C.J. Shook assisted Ilhan's second goal of the match in the 85th minute to make it 4-0, and Gudmundsson found the back of the net just over a minute later, thanks in part to an assist by Miller.
But it wasn't just the offense that helped the Spartans to victory. UNCG's defense kept the conference's top offense off the board, and held league-leading scorer Luigi Clendenning (13 goals) to just one shot attempt. The Spartans posted their fifth shutout in conference play with Ford making three saves on 11 shots.
Ford also became UNCG's all-time leader in Division I saves with 15, passing current assistant coach Jay Benfield on the list. Ford lowered his season goals-against average to 0.67.
Georgia Southern (8-7-1, 4-3-0) goalkeeper Ryan Platt made two saves while facing 12 shots as the Eagles played their final regular season conference match.
The Spartans close out conference play Saturday when they visit Elon at 7 p.m.
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#24 Furman 1, Davidson 0
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Martin Ontiveros bent a free kick just under the cross bar in the 54th minute to give No. 23 Furman a 1-0 victory over Davidson in Southern Conference men's soccer action Tuesday night in Alumni Stadium.
Furman (12-2-4, 3-1-2 SoCon) extended their unbeaten streak to six with the win, ending Davidson's (7-7-2, 2-2-1 SoCon) win streak at two.
Ontiveros was fouled in the center of the field, just outside the 18-yard box to set up the free kick opportunity. His perfect strike eluded goalkeeper Chip Sanders, who made nine second-half saves to keep Davidson in the game.
The Wildcats increased their offensive pressure late, with junior Andrew DiLallo nearly finding the back of the net for the second time in as many games, but Furman goalkeeper Alec Kann was able to make the save. Kann finished with eight saves for the game.
The first half was a defensive struggle, with Furman taking three shots to Davidson's one.
Senior Allen Page led the Wildcats offensively with three shots.
The Wildcats will honor their seniors, including Sanders, prior to Saturday's match against Appalachian State, set to start at 7 p.m. in Alumni Stadium. The game will also be the team's inaugural Kick Cancer event to raise money to support the Susan G. Komen foundation and its efforts fight breast cancer.
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Wofford 1, Appalachian State 0
BOONE, N.C. - The Terriers' bite proved effective on Tuesday, as Appalachian State men's soccer (8-3-4, 3-1-2 SoCon) had its 11-game unbeaten streak broken by Wofford (5-10-1, 1-5 SoCon) in Southern Conference action at ASU Soccer Stadium.
An ASU win would have cemented a home first-round SoCon Tournament game for the Apps and earned them a chance to play for the SoCon regular-season title on Saturday. Instead, the Mountaineers no longer control their own fate in earning their first conference crown since 1989.
"We needed to win this game to earn a first-round [SoCon] Tournament game," observed head coach Matt Nelson. "We had tons of chances but weren't able to put any in the back of the net. Their keeper made some great saves, and I think this experience is going to help us in the long run."
Appalachian out-shot Wofford by a sum of 26 to eight, but the Mountaineers were stonewalled by the Terriers defense.
Appalachian came out fast and recorded six shots in the first ten minutes; however, the Terriers were able to capitalize on the Mountaineers' pressure and turn them on their heels.
In the 12th minute, Wofford's Alex Hutchins broke through the Appalachian back line and was able to pull the trigger from 10 yards and earn the Terriers a 1-0 lead. Matt Frongello assisted the goal, Hutchins' team-high sixth of the year.
Hutchins would get two additional looks in the half, missing just right on his subsequent attempts.
The Mountaineers recorded 13 in shots in the first half, but despite the Apps' efforts, Wofford maintained its 1-0 advantage on the scoreboard.
In the 61st minute, a long clear by Lee Rutter (Nottingham, England / South Nottingham) gave Sekani Sinclair (Parkland, Fla. / Marjory Stoneman Douglas) an open chance on the front lines. Wofford keeper Andrew Drennan came off the goal line and made a diving stop to steal the ball from Sinclair's feet and preserve the lead.
With six and a half to play, Drennan again was forced to come out and play the Mountaineer offense. The Black and Gold eluded Wofford's keeper, and Boubacar Toure (Atlanta, Ga. / Georgia Perimeter College) saw a would-be open-net goal stymied by a Terrier defender, and Appalachian's streak of bad luck continued.
With under three minutes remaining, ASU keeper Danny Free (Doncaster, England / Hall Cross School) had to enter the game to face a Wofford penalty kick. Free made a diving save to prevent a second Hutchins' goal and kept the Mountaineers in the game.
Alas, after the final efforts of Appalachian State, Wofford walked away victorious, 1-0.
The loss snaps ASU's longest unbeaten streak (7-0-4) since 1978.
"We were fortunate to go on the streak we had," continued Nelson. "But this is how the game goes. Tomorrow we'll have our eyes on Davidson."
The Mountaineers conclude their SoCon slate with a trip to Davidson on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m.
A win at Davidson would give Appalachian a home game in the first round of the SoCon tournament. The door is still open for ASU to win a SoCon regular-season title, but UNCG can clinch the outright title with a win over Elon this weekend.
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Elon 1, College of Charleston 0
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - The College of Charleston men's soccer team controlled the pace of play and out attacked Elon in Southern Conference action but couldn't get the ball into the net and ultimately fell, 1-0, at Patriots Point on Tuesday night.
The Cougars dictated the pace of play and out possessed their opponent yet came away with a loss for the second match in a row.
CofC led in shots (13-6), shots on goal (6-4) and corner kicks (9-6) on the night but couldn't get the break they needed to beat Phoenix keeper Reed Dillard who was called on to make six saves on the night.
The game's lone goal came in the 24th minute off of a corner kick. Gabe Latigue sent the ball in from the far side and Matt Wescoe found space along the six-yard mark to head the ball into the net.
The match was the Cougars' Senior Night and the Cougars celebrated the careers of Will Moore (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.), Rudi Hellberger (Summerville, S.C.) and Kevin Cawthon (Easley, S.C.) before the beginning of the match.
The Cougars have a full seven days off before concluding the regular season with a match at Davidson on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.
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