UNCG 11, VMI 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Southern Conference-leading UNCG men’s soccer team secured a first-round bye in the upcoming SoCon tournament as the Spartans posted an 11-0 victory over visiting VMI in the rain Tuesday night at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
The victory improves the Spartans to 6-1-2 in league play this season as they maintain their first-place showing heading into the season finale Saturday at ETSU. Additionally, the win extends the Spartans’ unbeaten streak to seven straight games (5-0-2). UNCG can clinch a SoCon regular-season championship outright Saturday night with a victory over ETSU as it holds a four-point lead over second-place Furman.
The Spartans’ 11-goal margin of victory is the largest for UNCG in its NCAA Division I era, surpassing a 10-goal victory over The Citadel in 1997. The 11 goals scored is the most since that game against The Citadel in 1997 when the Spartans picked up a 12-2 victory. Additionally, the 11-goal margin of victory is the most for UNCG as a program since defeating St. Andrews 12-0 in 1985.
Six different Spartans scored in the victory, with four different players scoring multiple goals. Senior forward Jacques Francois led the way as he posted his first career hat trick as his way to an eight-point showing with three goals and two assists. His hat trick is the first for the Spartans since Brian Graham scored three goals against Wofford on Oct. 19, 2010. His eight points raises his SoCon-leading point total to 25 on the year, including 20 in league play.
Freshman midfielder Leeroy Maguraushe added two goals in the victory to raise his league-leading goal total to eight as well. Classmate Matteo Busio tallied a pair of goals and two assists in the victory, increasing his season total to 13 points (5g, 3a).
Junior forward Damieon Thomas finished the night with three assists, while senior forward Ben Burdon added two goals. Also scoring for the Spartans in the victory were freshman Matt Mattis and senior Evan Rees.
The Spartans opened the score in the 18th minute of play. Thomas possessed the ball at the top of the 18-yard box and dropped a pass off to Maguraushe. He broke in behind the defense and beat VMI goalkeeper Alex Guerra for his seventh goal of the year. UNCG took a 2-0 lead in the 25th minute on a very similar play as Thomas again passed off the ball, this time finding Busio, who beat Guerra from 8 yards out for his fourth tally of the season.
The Spartans extended their lead to 3-0 just 36 seconds later as Francois got in the act. Junior midfielder Ricky Chavez sent a long through ball that sprung Francois behind the defense. His first touch beat Guerra and into the back of the net for his first of the night.
Maguraushe scored his second of the game in the 35th minute. Busio made a run and turned down the end line before dropping it off to Maguraushe. He chipped the shot over Guerra’s head for his team-leading eighth of the season. Francois capped the first-half scoring in the 42nd minute as he and Thomas were in on a 2-on-1. The two passed back and forth before Francois deposited it into the back of the net for his second of the night and Thomas’ third assist of the night.
The Spartans came out in the second half and scored six goals on their way to an 11-goal output. Francois quickly picked up his hat trick with goals in the 49th and 53rd minutes of play before Busio converted a penalty kick in the 57th minute. Burdon added two goals in less than three minutes while Mattis scored in the 63rd minute and Rees in the 72nd minute.
Freshman goalkeeper Jon Milligan improved to 5-0-2 on the season and notched his fourth shutout of the year. Milligan lowered his goals against average to 0.54 since taking over as the Spartans’ starter.
The Spartans close out the 2015 regular season Saturday night when they travel to Johnson City, Tenn., for a meeting against ETSU. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
VMI returns home for a Senior Day matchup with Wofford on Saturday, Oct. 31. Kickoff is slated for a 2 p.m. start at Patchin Field. Seniors Hunter Morgan, David Harpen, Travis Borkey, Andrew Starnes, Eric Friese and Guerra will be honored in recognition of playing their final game at Patchin.
Mercer 3, ETSU 0
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University men's soccer team recorded its fourth consecutive shutout against ETSU, this time by a margin of 3-0, on Tuesday night.
Max Poore scored his first goal of the season in the 18th minute to give Mercer a 1-0 lead. Poore slid and kicked the ball in the net after Jordan Duru served it in from the right and Jake Mezei tipped it to Poore. Poore then put the Bears up 2-0 in the 49th minute when he slammed the ball in the net off a rebounded save following his penalty kick. Duru added a goal of his own in the 62nd minute after Kobe Perez played the ball to Jake Mezei, who crossed the ball to Duru for a long score in the left side of the net.
Poore’s goals were his first and second goals of the season. Poore's two goals give the junior six in his career, including three game-winning scores.
Duru scored his team-leading fifth goal of the season, while dishing out his fourth assist, which is also a team high. Duru now has eight goals and seven assists in his career.
Perez tallied his third assist of the season, while Mezei notched his first two assists this year.
Jeremy Booth made two saves in goal en route to his sixth clean sheet of the season.
Mercer has now defeated ETSU in each of the last four matches, all of which have been shutouts. Both games last season, as well as the meeting earlier this year, were 1-0 decisions.
Mercer has now registered its fourth 10-win season under head coach Brad Ruzzo. The Bears also hit double-digit wins in 2014 (14-7), 2012 (11-7-2) and 2010 (10-6-1).
Mercer improves to 10-6-1 (5-3-1 SoCon), while ETSU moves to 7-6-2 (4-4-1 SoCon) and saw its three-match win streak come to an end.
Mercer will close out the regular season on Saturday at Furman. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m.
The Bucs will host the UNCG Spartans on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Furman at Wofford postponed
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford men’s soccer match Tuesday night versus Furman at Snyder Field has been postponed due to inclement weather.
Rain came through the Spartanburg area Tuesday and after monitoring the conditions at Snyder Field, both coaches made the decision to postpone the match. It will now be played Thursday at 6 p.m.