BOX SCORE (PDF)
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's soccer team allowed two goals in under a three minute span of the first half as the Spartans dropped a 2-0 contest to regional rival High Point Wednesday night at Vert Stadium. The loss dropped the Spartans to 2-3-1 this season and 18-7-1 all-time against the Panthers.
"Tonight was very similar to the last two or three games," head coach Justin Maullin said. "We come out and look good but we continue to give up poor goals. Overall I am extremely proud of the group that played tonight. We went with a group that worked hard, and I can live with a loss when the guys give the effort this group did tonight."
UNCG had the first dangerous chance of the evening in the 18
th minute of play. Redshirt sophomore
Justin Jones (Jamestown, N.C./Lees-McRae) broke down the left-hand side and sent a cross into the six-yard box. Senior forward
Hakan Ilhan (Stuttgart, Germany/Univ. of Stuttgart) ripped a running header towards goal but High Point goalkeeper Kody Palmer was able to push it past the goal post to keep the game scoreless.
In the 22nd minute of action, High Point midfielder Shane Malcolm sent a ball to the top of the 18-yard box. Forward Mamadee Nyepon spun around the UNCG defender and got in alone on goal where fifth-year senior Peyton Ford (Jamestown, N.C./Southwest Guilford) got a piece of the shot but it still found its way into the back of the net for the early 1-0 lead.
High Point extended the lead to 2-0 just 2:44 later as it took advantage of an unlucky UNCG breakout. The Spartans went on the counter-attack off a HPU corner kick but the attempted pass deflected back towards the UNCG end allowing High Point to come in on a breakaway. Shawn Sloan was the recipient of the lucky bounce as he beat Ford on the breakaway for the 2-0 lead.
The Spartans came within inches of cutting the lead in half in the 25th minute of play. Ilhan received a pass at the top of the 18-yard box and beat a High Point defender to go one-on-one against Palmer. He ripped a shot past Palmer, but the shot struck off the post and back into play keeping the Spartans off the board.
UNCG out-shot the Panthers 7-6 in the first half despite the early deficit. Ilhan was one of three Spartans with a pair of shots in the half, including his near goal off the post in the 25th minute of play.
The second half saw both teams go back-and-forth with the Spartans having a strong chance in the 69
th minute off a corner kick. Junior
Mahdi Ali (Helsinki, Finland/Vuosaaren Lukio) got his head on the cross but pushed it just over the cross bar to keep it a two-goal deficit.
High Point held an 8-7 advantage in shots in the second half on its way to a 13-11 edge in the game. Ford posted four saves in the loss for UNCG while Palmer recorded three saves in the HPU victory.
The Spartans return home to the UNCG Soccer Stadium Saturday night as they host 2011 NCAA Tournament championship game participant and current No. 4 Charlotte in a 7 p.m. contest.
- UNCG -
