Furman 3, VMI 1
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Senior Clint Ritter opened the scoring for Furman and fellow senior Trent Johnson earned the victory in goal to help the Furman men’s soccer team to a 3-1 Senior Day victory over VMI on Saturday afternoon in Southern Conference action on Seagraves Field at Stone Stadium.
The victory snapped a three-game skid and improved the Paladins to 6-4-3 overall and 2-3-1 in league play. VMI dropped to 1-12-1 overall and 0-6-0 in the SoCon.
Furman took the early lead through Ritter’s first goal of the season, at the 17:27 mark. Tyler Peoples played a ball into the path of the Cedar Hill, Texas, native who lined a shot into the left side from the top of the box.
Sophomore Bobby Edet doubled the margin in the 27th minute with his fourth goal of the campaign. The forward muscled past a VMI defender, rounded the keeper and fired a shot inside the far right post at the 26:47 mark to give the Paladins a 2-0 cushion.
Less than two minutes into the second half, Furman increased its lead to 3-0. Lewis Hawke stripped the ball from a VMI defender in the box and banked a shot off of the right post from the left corner of the 6-yard box for his fifth goal of 2014.
The Keydets got on the scoreboard in the 60th minute when Hunter Morgan converted a penalty kick following a foul in the box, but Furman dominated possession over the final 30 minutes to secure its third league victory.
Johnson, making his first start in goal this season, stopped two shots to notch the win for Furman. VMI’s Alex Guerra made five saves in a losing effort.
The Paladins posted a 23-7 edge in shot attempts and 8-3 advantage in shots on goal to complete the season sweep of the Keydets.
The match featured 43 total fouls and seven yellow cards. VMI’s Eric Friese was sent off following his second caution with under seven minutes left.
Furman returns to the road on Tuesday when it faces UNCG in Greensboro, N.C. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
VMI is back in action when it hosts ETSU on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Mercer 2, UNCG 1 (2OT)
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Mercer men’s soccer team won a 2-1 decision in double overtime against UNCG on Saturday evening. With the victory, Mercer remains in first place in the Southern Conference.
The Bears improved to 9-5 overall and 5-1 in SoCon play. The Spartans moved to 3-9-2 on the season and 3-2-1 in league action.
Mercer took a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute after Carson Brooks made his way through the UNCG defense and sent the ball across the face of the goal to David Murtaugh, who tapped it in.
UNCG knotted the game, 1-1, in the 58th minute when Christopher Reingen found the back of the net from 20 yards out off a direct free kick.
Neither team scored in the final 32 minutes of regulation, sending the game to overtime. UNCG took three shots in the first overtime period, only one of which was on goal, but was unable to score and the match entered a second overtime.
The Spartans fired off a shot just 48 seconds into the final overtime, but it went wide. Mercer only took one shot in overtime but made the most of it. In the 104th minute, Brooks flicked the ball to Will Bagrou, who ran down the left side of the field and passed it to Thomas Glenn just 10 yards out from the goal. Glenn put the ball in the net to end the game and give the Bears to 2-1 win.
UNCG outshot Mercer, 19-14, while Mercer won the corner kick count, 5-3.
In goal, Greg Ranjitsingh once again tied his season high of seven saves. Ranjitsingh is now No. 3 in the Mercer record book in career saves with 320.
Next up, Mercer returns home to host Wofford on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. at Bear Field.
The Spartans will wrap up their four-game home stretch Tuesday night as they host SoCon rival Furman. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
ETSU 3, Wofford 3 (2OT)
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The Wofford College men’s soccer team earned its first draw of the 2014 campaign, 3-3, against the Buccaneers of ETSU at Summers-Taylor Field on Saturday night.
The Terriers looked as if they had scored the game-winner at the 80:12 mark, when Nestor Jaramillo scored for Wofford. Senior captain Carlos Dominguez-Gonzalez passed the ball out to the left side of the field rather than over the wall, finding Jaramillo. Jaramillo then dribbled into the box, blasting the ball into the bottom right side of the net.
Within the same minute, the Bucs responded. Warren Austin received the ball right at the conference logo, halfway between the midfield line and goal line. Austin crossed the ball in from 40 yards out, sailing the ball into the back right corner of the goal. The two sides failed to score another goal, sending them into overtime.
The tie gives the Terriers 13 points in the league, slotting them in second after Mercer (15 points) earned a 2-1 double-overtime win over UNCG late Saturday night.
Wofford outshot the Bucs in the contest, 30-13, with 11 shots on frame.
The Bucs struck first, scoring in the fifth minute against the Terriers. ETSU’s leading scorer, Joao Ramalho, found the back of the goal, shooting inside the box after a pass in from William Nordenstrom.
The Terriers retaliated quickly. Three minutes later, a penalty led to a long free kick, taken by Dominguez-Gonazalez. The midfielder lobbed the ball to the back post, past the keeper. Senior defender Forrest Lasso then finished off the goal with a tap-in from the goal line to even the game, 1-1.
ETSU scored again at the 21:01 mark. A foul in the box led to the penalty kick for the Bucs. Anthony Wojas struck the ball into the top half of the goal. Garrett Closs dove the right way but was beaten over the top by Wojas.
Wofford made a promising run in the 29th minute, forcing two back-to-back saves by ETSU’s Daniel Adleman. Matthew Aurednik and Pierce Verchick made shots on goal, forcing a corner kick, but the Terriers could not convert on the opportunity.
In the 43rd minute, it looked as if the Terriers would pull ahead. Dominguez-Gonzalez sent in a free kick to the right side, where Charlie Keeley headed the ball across the box. The ball was then headed by Verchick but strayed just right. The two squads entered the half with ETSU leading, 2-1.
The second half started with a bang, as a flurry of shots from the Terriers proved effective. Verchick struck inside the box, forcing a diving save to deflect the ball to the right. Verchick tracked the ball down before lobbing it back into the center of the box, where Dominguez-Gonzalez headed the ball into the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season.
At the 66:10 mark, the Terriers almost moved ahead. Junior Connor Bauknight streaked past a defender, shooting inside the box nearly curling it past Adelman, who fully extended to make the save. Following a goal from each side, the two headed into what proved to be two scoreless periods.
Wofford’s closest chance to score again came in the 101st minute. A free kick from Dominguez-Gonzalez went to Jaramillo, who volleyed the ball goalward. Adelman was forced to make his most athletic save of the night.
The Terriers travel next to Macon, Georgia, Tuesday night, where they will once again play the Mercer Bears for control of the conference before a two-game homestand against UNCG and Furman. Wofford and Mercer kick off at 7 p.m.
ETSU returns to action Tuesday at VMI at 4 p.m.