UNCG 7, VMI 0
LEXINGTON, Va. – The UNCG men’s soccer team scored its most goals in a single game since 2002 as the Spartans posted a dominating 7-0 victory over VMI on Saturday afternoon at Patchin Field. The Spartans’ seven goals are the most for UNCG since scoring 11 goals against The Citadel in 2002.
UNCG played the final 75 minutes up a man as VMI was issued a red card in the 15th minute of play.
The Spartans (6-5-1, 2-1-1 SoCon) opened the scoring just 3:45 into the game. Senior forward Jacques Francois sent a long through ball behind the VMI defense. Redshirt junior forward Christopher Reingen got behind the defense and was in alone against VMI goalkeeper Alex Guerra. Reingen slotted the ball past Guerra for his first goal of the season.
UNCG controlled play in the first half with a 15-1 edge on shots but went into the locker room leading just 1-0. The Spartans came out in the second half and scored six goals on eight shots, including scoring four goals during a span of 9:21 of the second half.
The Spartans’ scoring outburst started in the 49th minute as Francois pounced on a VMI turnover and beat Guerra for the 2-0 lead. Francois added his second goal in the 53rd minute of action as he again got behind the defense, beating Guerra on a breakaway off a pass from Noah DeAngelo. Just 1:02 later, DeAngelo gave the Spartans a 3-0 lead as he converted off a rebound from a Damieon Thomas shot.
The Spartans continued their barrage in the 58th minute, taking a 5-0 lead with their fourth goal in a 9:21 span. Freshman Leeroy Maguraushe fed classmate Matteo Busio, who scored in the top corner for his second goal of the year.
UNCG continued its onslaught with two goals in the final 10 minutes of play. Senior Evan Rees scored his first career goal in the 84th minute off an assist from Chandler Chappell. Freshman Matt Mattis closed out the scoring as he found the back of the net in the 87th minute, scoring his first career goal off another assist from Chappell.
Freshman goalkeeper Jon Milligan made his second straight start and posted his first career shutout. Milligan posted four saves in 90 minutes of play.
The Spartans return to action Tuesday night when they travel to Spartanburg, S.C., to take on Wofford. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
VMI returns to SoCon action Tuesday with a home game versus Mercer. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. at Patchin Field.
Wofford 3, Furman 1
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Wofford men’s soccer team scored three goals to Furman’s one as the Terriers defeated the Paladins on a rainy Saturday night at Stone Soccer Stadium.
The Terriers capitalized on a Furman turnover in the box in the 11th minute for their first goal. A Furman defender passed the ball across the box and forward Nicky Watson came in from the right side to strike the ball into the back left corner of the net. The goal was his first of the season and his first as a Terrier.
Wofford (8-2-1, 3-1 SoCon) would score off another Furman turnover in the 31st minute. Defender Tanner DeFreitas launched what head coach Ralph Polson described as an “absolute rocket” from 30 yards out on the left side that whizzed by the keeper and into the net for his first career goal.
DeFreitas’ goal made it a Wofford 2-0 advantage at halftime. Furman came out strong in the second half, taking two early corner-kick opportunities. The Paladins came close to scoring on a header from defender Kyle McLagan, but the Terrier defense held strong and kept the score at 2-0.
Midfielder Nestor Jaramillo provided Wofford a 3-0 advantage at the 67th minute. Midfielder Will Puckett passed the ball from the middle to Jaramillo on the left side. The senior struck a line-drive shot from 25 yards out into the back right corner for the goal.
Jaramillo now has four goals for the season, tying him for the team lead with Connor Donohue and Matthew Aurednik. It also was the 20th of his career, making him the eighth Terrier in program history with 20 career goals and the second in the team’s Division 1 era.
A minute later, the Paladins answered with a goal of their own. Midfielder Marco Ortiz was able to head home a goal past Terrier keeper Garrett Closs. Midfielder Noah Teplitzky assisted Ortiz on the goal.
Furman (4-4-2, 3-1 SoCon) created chances to continue scoring in the second half, but the Terrier defense held the Paladins to the one goal to create the final score. The Paladins kept possession for the majority of the final 30 minutes of the match in a scramble to get another goal.
The win vaults the Terriers into a tie for first in the SoCon standings with the Paladins. Furman still holds a 31-12 advantage in the series history, but Wofford has now won six of the last eight contests between the two rivals, including the last five in the regular season.
The Terriers return to action Tuesday when the team faces UNCG at Snyder Field. That match is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Furman will look to return to the win column when it travels to SoCon foe ETSU on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Johnson City, Tenn.
Mercer 1, ETSU 0
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The Mercer University men's soccer team used a goal late in the game to pick up a 1-0 win over ETSU on Saturday night.
Will Bagrou scored for the Bears in the 77th minute after the Bucs' goalie corralled a cross, and Conner Antley challenged the keeper, causing him to drop the ball. Antley got the ball to Bagrou, who then made sure it found its way to the back of the net. Mercer held onto its lead for the final 13 minutes to earn the 1-0 win.
Will Bagrou registered both of Mercer's shots on the night. The goal is Bagrou's third of the season and first game-winning score this year.
ETSU led in shots, 15-2, as well as shots on goal, 5-1. However, Bagrou made the most of Mercer's opportunities, helping the Bears defeat ETSU by a one-goal margin for the third straight time.
Jeremy Booth anchored a Mercer defense that notched its fifth shutout of the season and the first in league play. Booth tallied five saves en route to the clean sheet.
The match was Mercer's first conference game this season that did not require extra minutes to determine a winner.
Mercer improves to 7-5 on the season and 2-2 in conference play, while ETSU falls to 4-4-2 overall and 1-2-1 in league action.
Mercer will face VMI on Tuesday, Oct. 13, in Lexington, Va. The Bears and the Keydets are set to kickoff at 3 p.m.
ETSU will play again Tuesday as it hosts the Furman Paladins at Summers-Taylor Stadium at 7 p.m.