Wofford 3, USC Upstate 2
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Three goals in the final 10 minutes of play led the Wofford College men’s soccer team to a dramatic 3-2 win over USC Upstate on Wednesday night at Snyder Field.
The Terriers were trailing by two with just 10 minutes of action remaining, when Nestor Jaramillo began the three-goal surge that earned the team its third win of the season. In the 81st minute, the junior midfielder lined up for a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box following a foul from the Spartans. Jaramillo bent the shot low and to the left of the keeper, around the seven-man wall to give the Terriers their first goal of the game.
Following the goal, Upstate keeper Hassan Haddad elbowed senior forward Benny Puetter, who fell to the ground. Haddad received a red card for the extracurricular activity, sending Jack Rubin into goal for the Spartans.
Less than a minute later, junior Will Puckett scored the equalizer for the Terriers. A pass from Spartan defender Matt Flynn ran astray and was intercepted by Puckett. From there, the midfielder curled the ball past Rubin along the ground into the bottom-right corner of the net.
The Terriers would continue to apply pressure into the 88th minute, where sophomore forward Matthew Aurednik beat the defense to a wide-open goal. After juking the goalie, Aurednik shot on an empty net, until defender Tucker Beerman sprinted in and swatted away the sure goal with his hand. The handball earned Beerman a red card, giving Wofford a penalty kick. Senior defender Forrest Lasso converted the attempt, driving the ball low and to the right while Rubin dove left. Wofford would ride out the last two minutes with an 11-to-nine man advantage.
The Wofford victory marked the 50th of head coach Ralph Polson’s time at Wofford.
Wofford outshot the Spartans 25-10 and earned eight corners to Upstate’s two. The two teams were basically even in penalties, drawing 21 between the two clubs; however, three of Upstate’s penalties ended in cards, with Leon Schwarzer earning a yellow before Haddad’s and Beerman’s reds.
Wofford was dominant through the first half but could not find a goal over 45 minutes. The Terriers outshot the Spartans 13-4 in the period, highlighted by a near goal from Lasso in the 31st minute, in which he placed a header into the crossbar, inches from entering the net.
Schwarzer played a large role in the team’s offense, scoring the initial goal for the Spartans 65 minutes in. After receiving the pass from Joe Brinckwirth, Schwarzer found himself in a one-on-one situation with sophomore keeper Garrett Closs. Schwarzer lifted the ball on a chipped shot, beating Closs for the 1-0 lead.
Five minutes later, the Spartans netted their second goal on the foot of Rinaldi Alphonso. Schwarzer set the table for Alphonso, who struck the ball to the upper-left corner past Closs again. Ten minutes later, the Terriers began their three-goal rally.
Closs finished the game with four saves en route to his second win of the season. Rubin dropped to 1-3-0.
Wofford continues its three-game home stand on Saturday, battling the College of Charleston at Snyder Field. The game will begin at 2 p.m.