ETSU 2, South Carolina 1 (OT)
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - For the second time in as many matches, the ETSU men's soccer team earned a victory over a Conference USA opponent, defeating South Carolina in overtime, 2-1, Saturday night at Summers-Taylor Stadium.
The Bucs (4-2) also earned a 2-1 victory over Conference USA opponent FIU Tuesday night.
ETSU and South Carolina played to a scoreless draw through the match's first 83 minutes before redshirt junior Emmanuel Wilson converted a rebound inside the box to give the Bucs a 1-0 lead.
The Gamecocks (3-3), who were ranked No. 17 in the nation last week, took advantage of an ETSU own goal three minutes later to tie the match at 1-1, forcing overtime.
Just over three minutes into extra time, redshirt-freshman Jorge De Gyves collected a pass from senior co-captain Jeremy Saad and beat the Gamecocks' keeper, clinching the golden-goal victory for the Bucs.
The game-winner was the first collegiate goal for De Gyves, who was making his second career start. The Queretaro, Mexico native joined the Bucs as a walk-on last season.
VMI 2, Howard 2 (2OT)
LEXINGTON, Va. - It took two goals while trailing, but the Virginia Military Institute men’s soccer team played visiting Howard University to a 2-2 draw Saturday afternoon at Patchin Field. Junior Travis Borkey potted his second career goal against the Bison to level the match.
Howard took leads of 1-0 and 2-1 before Borkey netted his first of the season in the 77th minute, scoring the goal that forced VMI’s first extra time game at Patchin Field since a 1-1 draw with NJIT on Sept. 6, 2013.
Hunter Morgan got on the board for VMI (1-4-1), scoring an equalizer in the 41st minute for a 1-1 halftime score. The Bison jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 35th minute as Warren Dennis scored on a Jordan Rice assist. Howard also got a goal from Raynard Storey in the 59th minute for a 2-1 advantage.
The Brothers Hartman, Alex and Brandon, each logged assists in the final non-conference game in Lexington this season. Brandon, along with Alec Rich, had an assist on the Morgan goal, while Alex had the dish for Borkey’s tying mark.
Shots were close throughout the game, with Howard (0-8-1) taking 14 while the Keydets managed 12, led by Borkey and Morgan, who took three apiece. Each team put five chances on goal, with netminders Zach Kaplan and Eric Hamilton making three saves for VMI and Howard, respectively.
It was a foul-fest in Lexington as the teams combined for 41 fouls, 24 against Howard and 17 against VMI. Four Keydets were booked for cards, with Alex Hartman picking up two yellows. He will miss VMI’s non-conference game at Wake Forest University next week.
VMI, which is 1-0-4 in its last five games with Howard, took six corner kicks on the day, while the Bison earned five during the 10th meeting between the schools.
The game started slowly, with each team struggling to put shots on goal. The Bison took six attempts in the opening 45 minutes, while VMI managed five, but only three of the 11 shots made it on goal, including the two goals. Kaplan made one save for the Keydets in the first half.\
Howard jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 35th minute as Dennis scored the Bison’s first goal since August 31 against George Washington University. Rice was credited with the assist after sending in a long cross from near the right corner to the back post.
But the Keydets answered before the end of the stanza as Morgan scored his first goal this season and VMI’s first at home. Rich controlled the ball through several Bison defenders before slipping a pass to Brandon Hartman, who then directed a pass flat through the Howard penalty area to the foot of Morgan, who tapped home the equalizer. The assists were career firsts for Rich and Hartman, and the first goal of Morgan’s Keydet career.
Early in the second half, Howard broke the tie as Storey collected a clearing attempt from a Keydet defender that was poorly handled. Story drove his attempt towards the right post to put the Bison up 2-1.
However, Borkey came up big in the 79th, pushing across the tying goal on Alex Hartman’s pass. After Hartman sent in a corner kick, Howard cleared the box, but Hartman regained possession and sent in another cross, tipped home by Borkey. Last season, Borkey lifted VMI to a 2-1 overtime win on the road over Howard.
The Keydets hit the road for their next contest, heading to Winston-Salem, N.C. for a game at Wake Forest. Kickoff between the Southern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference schools is set for 7 p.m. at the Demon Deacons’ Spry Stadium.
ETSU will face another difficult non-conference test as the Bucs travel to Rock Hill, S.C., to take on Winthrop Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 6:00 p.m.
Georgia State 2, UNCG 1
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Despite rallying from one goal down to tie the game in the second half, the UNCG men’s soccer team suffered a 2-1 non-conference loss to visiting Georgia State Saturday night at the UNCG Soccer Stadium. The Spartans wrap up non-conference play Tuesday night when they travel to South Carolina.
UNCG owned an 11-9 advantage in shots in the loss and held a 10-5 edge in corner kicks, including eight in the second half as the Spartans turned the pressure up on the Panthers.
The Spartans had an early chance at goal against the Panthers, coming within inches of taking the lead in the seventh minute of play. After a long throw-in attempt, senior Aaron Reifschneider sent a long ball through the box towards the back post. Junior forward Dustin Gamradt was there waiting on the back post and one-timed a shot past GSU goalkeeper CJ Cochran but it hit the post to keep the game scoreless.
Georgia State had its best chance in the first half during the 34th minute of play off a counter attack. Amiri Abraham found some space just inside the 18-yard box and ripped a bending shot that deflected off a UNCG defender. Freshman goalkeeper William Pyle made a diving stab at the ball to keep it out of the back of the net and keep the game tied at 0-0.
Pyle kept the Panthers off the board in the 53rd minute as he stoned Eddie Wilding from close range after he got behind the defense. Georgia State kept the pressure on the Spartans and scored the game’s first goal in the 54th minute. Amiri Abraham made a run down the left-hand side and sent a cross through the box. Ali Elkhalil was on the back post and one-touched the cross into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.
UNCG showed its mettle and came back to score the game-tying goal less than seven minutes later in the 61st minute. The Spartans were awarded a free kick from 30-yards out and Reifschneider sent a low ball through the box. The ball made its way through the GSU defense and found Gamradt making a run. He was able to get a touch on the ball and poke it past Cochran to tie the game at 1-1 with his second goal of the season.
Georgia State retook the lead in the 72nd minute as again Abraham made a run down the left-hand side. He sent a long cross into the box where Rashid Alarape was able to bring the ball down and spin off a UNCG defender. Alarape slotted the ball into the lower corner past Pyle for a 2-1 Panther lead.
The Spartans attacked the Georgia State goal down the stretch looking for the game-tying goal and had chances, including a stretch of three straight corner kicks in a row. Gamradt had the best chance during the spurt as Cochran saved his back-post header in the 76th minute of play.
Cochran picked up the win for GSU as he posted three saves on the night while Pyle also tallied three saves in his first career collegiate action. Gamradt led all players with four shots on the night while Eric Gunnarsson and Noah DeAngelo each added a pair of shots.
The Spartans close out the non-conference portion of the regular season Tuesday night as they travel down to South Carolina. Game time in Columbia is set for 7 p.m. at Eugene Stone III Stadium.