No. 23 Furman 1, USC Upstate 0

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Tyler Peoples scored on a diving header in the 89th minute to lift 23rd-ranked Furman over USC Upstate, 1-0, in nonconference men’s soccer action on Friday evening at County University Stadium.

With time winding down in regulation, Clint Ritter and Tony Santibanez combined to set up Eric Steber with a pass down the right wing. The redshirt freshman took the ball to the end line and played a low cross to the near post that Peoples headed between Spartan goalkeeper Dani Alvarado and the right post at the 88:19 mark for his first collegiate goal.

Furman dominated the chances in the opening half, building a 9-1 edge in shots at intermission. Both teams created dangerous opportunities in the final 45 minutes. Upstate’s Dave Musambi missed narrowly on a pair of free kicks just outside the Furman box and saw his driving shot from the left side of the box pushed wide by a diving Doug Ryan midway through the period.

Ryan was called on again minutes later when Taylor Scalera got in behind the Paladin defense, but the 6-foot-8 stopper came off his line to smother the close-range shot.

Martin Ontiveros tested Alvarado with several free kicks and set up a header for an unmarked Chris Duggan that flashed wide of the far post in the 70th minute. Coleton Henning and Ontiveros also had shots saved from inside the 18-yard box before Peoples finished the game-winner with 1:41 remaining in regulation.

Ryan totaled three stops to earn his third shutout of the season, while Alvarado recorded 10 saves for the Spartans.

Furman finished with a 20-10 edge in total shots and 11-3 advantage in shots on goal. Both teams earned two corner kicks in the contest.

Furman returns home on Sunday when it hosts Atlantic Sun Conference member North Florida in a 4 p.m. contest at Stone Soccer Stadium. Tickets are $4 for adults and $2 for children. Furman students receive free admission with a valid student ID.

Davidson 3, Presbyterian 0

CLINTON, S.C. – Davidson ran its winning streak to four straight with a 3-0 victory over Presbyterian in nonconference men’s soccer action Friday evening at Martin Stadium.

With the win, the Wildcats improved to 4-2-1 overall, while the Blue Hose fell to 1-7-0.

Named SoCon Player of the Week on Tuesday, Valeriy Sviderskiy gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead with the eventual game-winner in the 37th minute. Fellow forward Andrew DiLallo set up the freshman’s one-on-one opportunity and fourth goal in the last three games.

Senior Brian McGue’s penalty kick extended Davidson’s lead to 2-0 at the 69:52 mark. It was McGue’s second successful try of the season as the midfielder provided the difference-maker in Davidson’s win over USC Upstate.

Less than five minutes later, Alex Feliciano put the game out of reach when he found the back of the net off of an Alex Givens cross into the box for his first goal of 2012.

The Wildcats held a 12-10 edge in shots, while the Blue Hose finished a 6-1 margin in corner kicks.

Davidson returns home Tuesday evening for its SoCon opener against UNCG at 7 p.m.