Mercer 3, Wofford 2 (OT)
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer men’s soccer team outlasted Wofford, 3-2, in overtime on Tuesday evening at Bear Field.
Mercer improved to 10-5 overall and 6-1 in Southern Conference play to remain at the top of the conference standings. Wofford moved to 8-5-1 on the season and 4-2-1 in the league.
The Terriers scored first and took a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute off a penalty kick from Carlos Dominguez-Gonzalez. Wofford entered halftime with the 1-0 advantage.
Mercer knotted the score at 1-1 in the 69th minute when Will Bagrou found the back of the net from just outside the goal. He was assisted by Jourdan Gooden and David Murtaugh.
Wofford took the lead again, 2-1, in the 73rd minute when Dominguez-Gonzalez scored off a rebound from Nick Orton’s shot.
The Bears tied the game at 2-2 in the 81st minute after Bagrou found Jordan Duru and Duru fired a shot from 20 yards out. Neither team scored in the final nine minutes of regulation, sending the game to overtime.
Bagrou scored the game-winning goal with just 2:10 left on the clock in the first overtime period. Thomas Glenn sailed a long free kick toward the box and Ian Antley headed it toward Bagrou, who beat out the goalie from just outside the goal.
Mercer outshot Wofford, 15-14, including 3-1 in overtime. The Bears also won the corner kick count, 6-3. In goal, Greg Ranjitsingh made two saves.
Next up, Mercer will host VMI on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 4:30 p.m.
The Terriers return home for their next match on Saturday. Wofford takes on UNCG, who gave Wofford its first conference loss in double overtime, 2-1, when the teams met last on Oct. 4 in Greensboro, N.C. The match begins 7 p.m. at Snyder Field.
Furman 3, UNCG 1
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Lewis Hawke, Bobby Edet and Adrian McInnis each scored for Furman to lead the Paladins to a 3-1 victory over UNCG in Southern Conference men’s soccer action on Tuesday evening.
With its second straight victory and first triumph at UNCG since the 2007 campaign, Furman improved to 7-4-3 overall and 3-3-1 in SoCon play. The Spartans fell to 3-10-2 overall and 3-3-1 in the conference.
Hawke opened the scoring for Furman with his sixth goal of the season at the 13:39 mark, heading in a cross from Dylan Rowe.
UNCG equalized in the 27th minute as Lukas Zarges took a pass from Noah DeAngelo and looped a 20-yard shot over the head of Paladin goalkeeper Sven Lissek for his first goal of the season.
With the game knotted at 1-1 in the 61st minute, Hawke won the ball deep in the UNCG box and played a pass back to the middle. Edet received the ball at his feet and smashed a shot past the keeper from 8 yards out at 60:06 to put Furman in front for good at 2-1.
Junior Adrian McInnis gave Furman a cushion in the 71st minute by drilling a penalty kick into the corner of the net after Hawke was tripped in the box by a Spartan defender. It marked the first goal of the season for McInnis.
UNCG turned up the pressure on the Paladins defense over the final 20 minutes, but McInnis saved a shot off of the goal line and Lissek deflected a point-blank attempt by the Spartans to secure the victory.
Furman finished with a 15-7 advantage in shot attempts, including an 8-3 edge in shots on goal.
The Paladins return to Seagraves Field and Stone Soccer Stadium on Friday night when they host ETSU as part of Homecoming Weekend at Furman.
The Spartans return to action Saturday night as they travel to Spartanburg, S.C., to meet up with the Wofford Terriers, who currently hold sole possession of second place in the league standings. UNCG is tied for third overall with Furman and ETSU with three games remaining in the regular season.
ETSU 4, VMI 0
LEXINGTON, Va. – Four ETSU players found the back of the net Tuesday, as the Buccaneers downed league opponent VMI, 4-0, at Patchin Field. With the win, ETSU extended its unbeaten streak to three matches.
The Bucs (7-6-1, 3-3-1) scored three goals within an eight-minute stretch in the first half to take a commanding 3-0 lead, which proved too much for the Keydets (1-13-1, 0-7) to overcome.
Redshirt sophomore Joao Ramalho, who was named Southern Conference Men's Soccer Player of the Week earlier in the day, scored his team-best 10th goal of the season in the 16th minute off an assist from senior Nick Muth.
With the goal, Ramalho moved to within just one score of matching David Geno's single-season program record of 11 goals set in 2012. Last week, Ramalho surpassed former ETSU standout Aaron Schoenfeld's mark of seven goals to move to second place in ETSU history for goals in a single season.
Ramalho is in terrific company on the list, as both Geno (Charlotte Eagles of USL Pro) and Schoenfeld (Columbus Crew of MLS) are currently enjoying professional soccer careers.
ETSU added two more goals before halftime, with Robin L'Excellent and William Nordenstrom scoring in the 22nd and 24th minutes, respectively. L'Excellent and Nordenstrom have each scored two goals this season.
Anthony Wojas and Donte Brangman assisted Nordenstrom's score.
Wojas found the back of the net in the 73rd minute. With three goals and two assists on the year, Wojas is the Bucs' second leading scorer behind Ramalho.
Freshman Cameron Woodfin set up Wojas' goal with a long cross up the middle of the field. The assist was the first career point for Woodfin, who made his collegiate debut Oct. 11 at UNCG.
ETSU outshot VMI, 22-11, in the match, with Daniel Adelman and freshman Ryan Jorgensen splitting time in goal.
In 58 minutes, Adelman allowed no goals and recorded four saves. Making his collegiate debut, Jorgensen relieved Adleman midway through the second half.
ETSU returns to action Friday, Oct. 24, at Furman at 7:30 p.m., in Greenville, S.C.
VMI returns to the road this Saturday as the Keydets head to Macon, Ga., for a SoCon game at Mercer University. Game time has been changed for the tilt at Bear Field from 7 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.