Box Score

UNC Greensboro's Cliff Patterson scored two goals, including the eventual game-winner, to lead the Spartans to a 3-2 Southern Conference victory over Georgia Southern on Tuesday at a cold and mist-covered Eagle Field.The win was UNCG head coach Michael Parker's 399th of his 27-year career. 

Patterson started the scoring for UNC Greensboro just 1:23 into the match. Douglas Prewett's corner kick from the right corner found Patterson, who headed in his ninth goal of the year.

Georgia Southern scored the equalizer in the 12th minute in similar fashion. Jeff Russell's 25-yard throw-in went directly to Irwin, who flicked a header past UNC Greensboro keeper Joe Crump for Irwin's team-leading fifth goal of the year to knot the match at one.

The Spartans took a 2-1 advantage into halftime on Jimmy Craven's first score of the season.  Kenny Bundy began the play with a long run and served a pass to Craven, who fired past Georgia Southern keeper Garret Lazenby for the lead.

UNC Greensboro extended its cushion to two goals early in the second half. Egill Atlason cut across the middle of the box and flipped the ball behind him to Patterson, who settled the ball and scored to make the score 3-1.

The Eagles cut the match to a 3-2 Spartan lead in the 58th minute. After Irwin was taken down in the box, Jeff Russell tallied his third score of the season, beating Spartan reserve keeper Charlie DeMello low and to DeMello's right. The Eagles had three more shots on goal in
the half, but could not convert.

UNC Greensboro finished the match with 15 shots to Georgia Southern's 10. The Spartans posted seven corner kicks, all in the first half, while the Eagles earned all three of their corners in the second frame.

UNCG will return home on Saturday, October 19 to host Appalachian State. Kickoff is set for 7 pm. Georgia Southern returns to the pitch on Saturday as it travels to Davidson for a 1:00 p.m. match.