GREENSBORO, NC – UNC Wilmington's Sam Leger scored with 2:42 remaining in the second sudden-death overtime to cap a wild finish and give the Seahawks a 3-2 win over UNC Greensboro in men's soccer action Thursday night at UNCG Soccer Stadium in the first game of the UNCG/Davidson Soccer Classic.
Leger scored off a feed from Murray to cap a wild final 40 minutes that saw the lead see-saw back-and-forth several times.
UNCG took a 1-0 lead at 66:12 when Scott Jones fed Randi Patterson in the box. Patterson made a fake to his right and broke left, fooling the UNCW keeper and leaving an open net for his first goal of the season.
UNCW tied the score, however, just six minutes later. Bret Patterson hit a long cross from the left wing to the right post. Tim Masters fired a shot from eight yards out that was knocked down by the UNCG keeper, but trickled across the goal line to tie the score.
UNCG regained the lead just over six minutes after that. Scott Jones started the corner kick in place of Egill Atlason, who had left the game just moments earlier after a violent collision at midfield knocked both he and Bret Patterson out of the game. Jones lofted a ball high into the box, that Jamie Carlson went up and headed into the net to give the Spartans a 2-1 advantage with just 3:39 left in regulation.
But the Seahawks answered again. With just under two minutes remaining in regulation, UNCW had a corner kick. The initial ball into the box resulted in a scrum at the top of the box. A UNCG clearing attempt was blocked off and Will Clark gathered the loose ball and blasted it into the net from 10 yards out to tie the score once again.
Both teams had chances in overtime, including a controversial no-call with about four minutes left in overtime when Jones was taken down in the box as he shot. The Spartans were awarded a corner kick on the play, but could not take advantage. Had a foul been called, UNCG would have been awarded either a direct kick or a penalty kick.
UNCG, which was ranked as high as No. 6 in the preseason polls, outshot the Seahawks, 23-12, on the night. It was the first time in five years that UNCG failed to win its home opener.
The Spartans will host Charlotte on Monday night at UNCG Soccer Stadium in the final game of the UNCG/Davidson Soccer Classic. UNC Wilmington stays on the road to take on Davidson on Sunday night in its second game of the Classic.
AGATE
UNC Wilmington...... 0 2 0 1 - 3
UNC Greensboro...... 0 2 0 0 - 2
SCORING SUMMARY: UNCG - Patterson (Jones), 66:12; UNCW - Masters (Patterson), 72:14; UNCG - Carlson (Jones), 86:21; UNCW - Clark (unassisted), 88:31; UNCW - Leger (Murray), 107:18. Shots: UNCW 12, UNCG 23; Saves: UNCW 7 (Knighton 7), UNCG 1 (Benfield 1); Fouls: UNCW 22, UNCG 13; Corner Kicks: UNCW 10, UNCG 9.
- UNCG -
