UNCG 3, Mercer 2
MACON, Ga. – The UNCG men’s soccer team continued its strong play and ran its unbeaten streak to a league-best five straight games Tuesday night as the Spartans traveled to Macon, Ga., and posted a 3-2 victory over reigning Southern Conference regular-season champion Mercer. Senior forward Ben Burdon scored a career-high two goals in the victory, including the game-winning tally in the 72nd minute of play.
The Spartans return to action Saturday night when they host SoCon foe Wofford. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at the UNCG Soccer Stadium and the Spartans will honor their seniors prior to the game.
Mercer hosts VMI on Saturday at 12 p.m.
The victory Tuesday night gave the Spartans the regular-season series sweep over the Bears just one year after dropping three games to Mercer (two in the regular season, one in the SoCon tournament). Additionally, the victory kept the Spartans in sole possession of second place in the SoCon standing with a 4-1-2 record (14 points), just two points behind league leader Furman with 16 points (5-1-1). The Spartans also picked up some breathing room below them in the standings as Mercer and Wofford both lost Tuesday, dropping them to 3-3-1 in league play in third place with 10 points.
The Spartans (8-5-3, 4-1-2 SoCon) opened the scoring quickly, scoring just 4:38 into the game. Freshman midfielder Leeroy Maguraushe won the ball in the midfield and found Burdon making a run down the middle. Burdon took his first touch and was able to beat his defender, getting space at the top of the 18-yard box, where he sent a low shot back across the grain, beating Jeremy Booth for the early 1-0 lead.
UNCG extended its lead to 2-0 in the 19th minute of play. Senior forward Jacques Francois made a run down the right-hand side and was able to turn the corner on the end line. Francois beat two defenders to slot a ball back into the box. Maguraushe was there and poked the ball past Booth for his fifth goal of the year and a 2-0 lead.
Mercer (8-6-1, 3-3-1 SoCon) was able to narrow the deficit just before halftime, taking advantage of a free kick in the 42nd minute of play. The Bears sent the ball into the box, where Jordan Duru flicked the ball toward the back post. Ian Antley’s header beat freshman goalkeeper Jon Milligan to narrow the gap to 2-1.
Mercer came all the way back and tied the game in the 60th minute as it took advantage of another free kick. This time Kobe Perez ripped a shot just over the UNCG wall from 18 yards out into the side netting past Milligan to tie the game at 2-2. Mercer had another chance on a free kick in the 68th minute but this time Perez’s shot went through the UNCG wall and Milligan came up with a key save to keep the game tied at 2-2.
After UNCG weathered the Mercer storm to start the second half, the Spartans retook the lead in the 72nd minute of play. Maguraushe sent a ball to Burdon on the right-hand side. Burdon ripped a shot from 15 yards out that was blocked by the defender, but he corralled his own rebound and on the second attempt, rocketed a shot past Booth into the back of the goal for his second of the game and a 3-2 UNCG advantage.
Burdon finished the night with two goals, raising his season total to three tallies. Additionally, Francois picked up his league-leading sixth assist of the year to run is SoCon-best point total to 16 (5g, 6a).
Furman 3, VMI 1
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Marco Carrizales netted Furman’s go-ahead goal in the 62nd minute and assisted on Brendan Richardson’s goal three minutes later as the Paladins downed VMI, 3-1, in Southern Conference men’s soccer action Tuesday night on Seagraves Field at Stone Soccer Stadium.
With the victory, Furman improved to 6-4-3 overall, 5-1-1 in the SoCon and maintained its hold on first place in the SoCon standings. VMI fell to 0-15-0 overall and 0-7 in the league.
Furman took the lead just 3:26 into the match when Eli Pinner played a pass behind the Keydet defense to Bobby Edet, who slotted a shot past the VMI goalkeeper from the middle of the box.
VMI netted the equalizer at the 51:58 mark when Eric Friese’s long ball was flicked into the path of Alex Hartman by Grant Austin. Hartman volleyed a shot down the middle to beat Paladin goalkeeper Sven Lissek and record his first goal of the campaign.
Furman regained the advantage in the 62nd minute. Marco Ortiz drew a hard foul at the edge of the box on the left side and Carrizales stepped up to bend his free kick from 19 yards out into the left side for his second goal of the season and a 2-1 Paladin lead.
The Paladins doubled their lead at 64:36 as Brendan Richardson rose above the Keydet defense to head in a Carrizales corner kick at the near-side post.
Lissek stopped one shot to earn the victory in goal for Furman, while Alex Guerra totaled four saves in losing effort for the Keydets.
Furman continues its homestand on Friday when it hosts ETSU in an 8 p.m. kickoff at Stone Stadium as part of homecoming weekend. The match has been designated as “The Quinn Game” for Down Syndrome Awareness. Quinn Cronin, the 3-year-old daughter of former Paladin standout McNeil Cronin, will serve as the honorary team captain as the Paladins partner with the Down Syndrome Family Alliance of Greenville to raise awareness.
VMI returns to action at Mercer on Saturday at 12 p.m.
ETSU 3, Wofford 2
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The Wofford men’s soccer team dropped a back-and-forth affair against ETSU, losing 3-2 Tuesday night at Summers-Taylor Stadium.
Forward Matthew Aurednik scored both of Wofford’s goals in the contest, netting one in each half.
Aurednik provided the Terriers (8-4-2, 3-3-1 SoCon) with the lead one minute into the match. Midfielder Connor Donohue fed Aurednik a crossing pass from the left side that the junior was able to get past the ETSU defense for his fifth goal of the season.
The goal for Aurednik was also his 20th of his career, making him the 10th Terrier in program history to notch 20 career goals.
ETSU (6-5-1, 3-3-1 SoCon) produced a golden opportunity to tie the match after a foul in the box set up a penalty kick. Terrier goalkeeper Garrett Closs guessed correctly on midfielder James Smith’s shot, however, keeping the ball out with a full extension save to his right.
Smith would find the back of the net a few minutes later, however, scoring his fifth goal of the season in the 29th minute to tie the match at 1-1.
The Buccaneers would add another goal before halftime. Midfielder Ben Holt scored off an assist from forward Henrique Novaes, giving ETSU a 2-1 halftime lead.
The Terriers rallied back in the second half. A handball in the box set up a penalty kick for Aurednik. The forward converted the kick, sending the ball into the back right corner of the net to tie the match at 2-2 at the 68th minute.
ETSU’s Holt scored his second goal of the match two minutes later to give his team the lead back with 20 minutes left in the match.
The Terriers’ best chance to equalize came in the 80th minute. A foul near the box gave the Terriers a set-shot opportunity. Midfielder Nestor Jaramillo took the shot from just left of the box, but the ball went just high of the net.
Closs drew the loss in the match, saving five shots, while ETSU keeper Jonny Sutherland picked up the victory for ETSU with two saves.
ETSU now holds the all-time series advantage at 3-2-2. Wofford remains winless at Summers-Taylor Stadium, going 0-1-2 in matches at ETSU.
The Terriers play on the road again in their next match, this time traveling to Greensboro, N.C., Saturday for a match against UNCG. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
ETSU is at Furman on Friday at 8 p.m.