GREENSBORO, N.C. - Thomas Campbell had his sixth career multiple-goal game and Matt Foxx added a goal and an assist as UNC Greensboro turned away Gardner-Webb, 3-1, in men's soccer action Saturday night at UNCG Soccer Stadium.
Campbell had a hand in all three goals and finished with five points on the night. The Spartans (4-7-3) snapped a three-game losing skid and had their biggest offensive output of the season. UNCG hadn't scored three goals in a match since Sept. 12, 2008, when it defeated East Tennessee State, 3-1 - a span of 34 matches.
Just as big as the offensive outburst, however, was a save by goalkeeper Chad Janda late in the match. Janda, making his first appearance of the season, stopped a penalty kick on a diving save to his right with 5:55 to play to preserve a one-goal lead at 2-1. Nearly three minutes later, Campbell added his second goal of the night to put the game out of reach.
Foxx and Campbell teamed up twice in the first 10 minutes of the match to give UNCG an early 2-0 lead. In the eighth minute, after Cruz Oronos' shot hit the crossbar and then hit goalkeeper Trent Kozman in the back, an attempted clear went to Campbell. He found Foxx on the doorstep, who knocked it home for his third goal of the season.
In the 10th minute, it was Foxx's turn to give. A.J. Nelson's long ball went to Foxx who played the ball into the box. Campbell raced to the ball with a defender at his side and the goalkeeper charging forward. The ball squirted free from the three-way collision and Campbell was able to get enough of a foot on it to chip it in for his fourth goal of the season.
Gardner-Webb (6-5-1) got on the board on a beautiful shot by Romeo Kabanda in the 55t h minute. Kabanda took a couple of dribbles after a long ball from John Sargent, spun around and hit a blast from 20 yards out into the upper right corner of the goal. It was his third tally of the year and cut the UNCG lead to 2-1.
Janda's penalty kick save against Gerrard Hefferon preserved the one-goal lead and then with 3:09 to play Matt Strine found Campbell just inside the top of the box. Campbell one-timed it out of the air into the upper right corner for his fifth goal of the season and second two-goal game this season.
Gardner-Webb held a 14-12 advantage in shots, while corner kicks were even at 5-5. Janda and Kozman each finished the night with five saves.
The Spartans (4-7-3) return to conference play next Saturday night when they host Georgia Southern for a 7 p.m. clash.
AGATE
Gardner-Webb........ 0 1 - 1
UNCG................ 2 1 - 3
SCORING SUMMARY:
1. UNCG Foxx (Campbell), 7:14
2. UNCG Campbell (Foxx, Nelson), 9:44
3. GWU Kabanda (Sargent), 54:39
4. UNCG Campbell (Strine), 86:51
Shots: Gardner-Webb 14, UNCG 12. Saves: Gardner-Webb 5 (Kozman 5), UNCG 6 (Janda 5; TEAM 1). Corner kicks: Gardner-Webb 5, UNCG 5. Fouls: Gardner-Webb 15, UNCG 11.
- UNCG -
