Box Score GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Southern Conference leading UNCG men's soccer team secured a first round bye in the upcoming SoCon Tournament as the Spartans posted an 11-0 victory over visiting VMI in the rain Tuesday night at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
The victory improves the Spartans to 6-1-2 in league play this season as they maintain their first-place showing heading into the season finale Saturday at ETSU. Additionally, the win extends the Spartans unbeaten streak to seven straight games going 5-0-2 during that span. UNCG can clinch a SoCon Championship outright Saturday night with a victory over ETSU as they hold a four-point lead over second-place Furman.
The Spartans' 11-goal margin of victory is the largest for UNCG in its NCAA Division I era, surpassing a 10-goal victory over The Citadel in 1997. The 11 goals scores is the most since that game against The Citadel in 1997 when the Spartans picked up a 12-2 victory. Additionally, the 11-goal margin of victory is the most for UNCG as a program since defeating St. Andrews 12-0 in 1985.
Six different Spartans scored in the victory with four different players scoring multiple goals. Senior forward Jacques Francois (Port Au Prince, Haiti/Louisburg College) led the way as he posted his first career hat trick as his way to an 8-point showing with three goals and two assists. His hat trick is the first for the Spartans since Brian Graham scored three goals against Wofford October 19, 2010. His eight points raises his SoCon leading point total to 25 on the year, including 20 in league play.
Freshman midfielder Leeroy Maguraushe (Milton Keynes, England/Stantonbury) added two goals in the victory to raise his league-leading goal scoring total to eight as well. Classmate Matteo Busio (Greensboro, N.C./Western Guilford) tallied a pair of goals and two assists in the victory, increasing his season total to 13 points (5g, 3a).
Junior forward Damieon Thomas (St. Catherine, Jamaica/Georgia Military College) finished the night with three assists while senior forward Ben Burdon (Charlotte, N.C./High Point) added two goals. Also scoring for the Spartans in the victory were freshman Matt Mattis (Little Stoke, England) and senior Evan Rees (Sydney, Ohio/Cincinnati Technical CC).
The Spartans opened the score in the 18th minute of play. Thomas possessed the ball at the top of the 18-yard box and dropped a pass off to Maguraushe. He broke in behind the defense and beat VMI goalkeeper Alex Guerra for his seventh goal of the year. UNCG took a 2-0 lead in the 25th minute on a very similar play as Thomas again passed off the ball this time finding Busio who beat Guerra from 8-yards out for his fourth tally of the season.
The Spartans extended their lead to 3-0 just 36 seconds later as this time Francois got in the act. Junior midfielder Ricky Chavez (Barranquilla, Columbia/UNC Pembroke) sent a long through ball that sprung Francois behind the defense. His first touch beat Guerra and into the back of the net for his first of the night.
Maguraushe scored his second of the game in the 35th minute. Busio made a run and turned down the end line before dropping it off to Maguraushe. He chipped the shot over Guerra's head for his team-leading eighth of the season. Francois capped the first half scoring in the 42nd minute as he and Thomas were in on a 2-on-1. The two passed back and forth before Francois deposited it into the back of the net for his second of the night and Thomas' third assist of the night.
The Spartans came out in the second half and scored six goals on their way to an 11-goal output. Francois quickly picked up his hat trick with goals in the 49th and 53rd minutes of play before Busio converted a penalty kick in the 57th minute. Burdon added two goals in less than three minutes while Mattis scored in the 63rd minute and Rees in the 72nd minute.
Freshman goalkeeper Jon Milligan (Mount Pleasant, S.C./Wando) improved to 5-0-2 on the season and notched his fourth shutout of the year. Milligan lowered his goals against average to 0.54 since taking over as the Spartans starter.
The Spartans close out the 2015 regular season Saturday night when they travel to Johnson City, Tenn., for a meeting against ETSU. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
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