JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – No. 4 seed ETSU knocked off No. 1 seed UNCG 6-5 in a penalty-kick shootout on Friday in the Southern Conference Men’s Soccer Championship at Summers-Taylor Stadium after the teams played to a 1-1 draw through regulation and two golden-goal overtimes. The Bucs advance to Sunday’s final and will face either No. 2 seed Furman or No. 3 seed Mercer for the league’s automatic NCAA berth.
With the teams tied 5-5 after eight rounds of the shootout, ETSU’s Chase Clack made his attempt to the left side to put UNCG’s Jordan Poarch in a must-make situation. With a title-match berth on the line, Poarch’s attempt clanged off the left post to send the host Bucs (8-6-4) through to their first-ever SoCon championship game.
After yet another closely contested match between the squads – who have gone to overtime in each of the last five meetings – the shootout was just as dramatic. UNCG keeper Jon Milligan saved three of ETSU’s first five attempts, giving the Spartans a chance at the shootout win on their fifth try. Counterpart Jonny Sutherland then came up big for the home side, saving Nicholas Downs’ attempt to the lower right side to send the PKs to sudden death.
Neither side missed after that until Poarch’s attempt found iron in the ninth round.
The shootout capped an exciting contest between the two emerging SoCon rivals, who played to a pair of 1-1 draws in the regular-season, as well. The Bucs exacted revenge for last season’s matchup in the first round of the tournament, which saw UNCG (11-5-5) take a 2-1 win in double overtime to end ETSU’s season.
In Friday’s match, UNCG’s Noah DeAngelo got the scoring started in the 39th minute, converting a Poarch pass with a rope from 20 yards out just, inside the near-side post.
ETSU’s James Smith netted the equalizer in the 62nd minute, taking a Corentin Ohlmann pass inside the 18-yard box and curling a shot into the far side of the net from the corner of the 6-yard box.
That’s where the score would stay despite several good chances for both sides throughout the remainder of regulation and overtime.
UNCG had perhaps the most dangerous opportunities, as Damieon Thomas got loose on a breakaway in the 77th minute and tried to slot the ball into the lower left corner, but his shot hit the post and ricocheted out of danger.
With just 6:23 left in regulation, Thomas ripped a shot from inside the 18 on which Sutherland made an outstanding kick save to keep the match tied.
UNCG put another shot off the frame with 3:10 left in the first overtime, as Ben Burdon put a shot off the crossbar. Moments later, Thomas got in on another breakaway, but Sutherland again came off his line to make the save for the Bucs.
Sutherland finished with four saves in running his record to 8-6-4 on the year, while Milligan made five stops as he remained undefeated in his freshman campaign at 6-0-4.
2015 SoCon Men’s Soccer Championship
Quarterfinal Round, Saturday, Nov. 7
Campus sites (at higher seeds)
Match 1: No. 4 ETSU 5, No. 5 Wofford 0
Match 2: No. 3 Mercer 7, No. 6 VMI 0
Semifinals, Friday, Nov. 13
Johnson City, Tenn.
Match 3: No. 4 ETSU 1, No. 1 UNCG 1 (ETSU advances in PKs, 6-5)
Match 4: No. 2 Furman vs. No. 3 Mercer, 6 p.m. (SDN)
Championship, Sunday, Nov. 15
Johnson City, Tenn.
Match 5: No. 4 ETSU vs. Match 4 winner, 1 p.m. (ESPN3)
-www.SoConSports.com-