Box Score GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's soccer team scored a goal in each half on its way to a solid 2-0 victory over visiting UT Rio Grande Valley Friday night at the UNCG Soccer Stadium. The victory improves the Spartans to 3-1-1 on the season. The Spartans have the coming week off until returning home next Friday night hosting North Florida.
The Spartans got on the board quickly, taking a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute of play. Senior forward Ben Burdon (Charlotte, N.C./High Point) generated the goal on his own as he gained possession in the midfield. Burdon accelerated through the Vaqueros defense and drove past four defenders to get behind the defense. Once he was one-on-one against UTRGV goalkeeper Leo Castillo, Burdon calming tucked the ball inside the near post for his first goal of the season.
The Spartans came within inches of taking a two-goal lead in the 20th minute of play. Junior Damieon Thomas (St. Catherine, Jamaica/Georgia Military Academy) flicked a cross from the top of the 18-yard box to the far post. Senior Jacques Francois (Port Au Prince, Haiti/Louisburg College) got on the end of the ball and ripped a bending shot past Castillo, but it grazed the post before heading out of play.
UT Rio Grande Valley, formerly Texas-Pan American, had its best chance of the game in the 50th minute of play. Juan Garcia got some space in the midfield and ripped a shot from 25-yards out but senior goalkeeper Logan Rohde (Cary, N.C./Greensboro College) was there to make the save.
The Spartans got a much-needed insurance goal in the 80th minute of play as Francois and Thomas hooked up once again. UNCG mounted a counter attack after freshman Leeroy Maguraushe (Milton Keynes, England/Stantonbury) forced a turnover at the top of the Spartans' 18-yard box. Maguraushe was able to get the ball forward to Francois who had ample room to run through the midfield.
Francois put the pressure on the last two Vaquero defenders. As they stepped up on his run, he calmly dished it off to his right where Thomas was in alone against the goalkeeper. Thomas fired a shot that Castillo got a piece of but his shot was too strong and found its way into the back of the net for the 2-0 lead. The goal was the team-leading third of the season for Thomas as he has scored in three out of four games this year.
The Spartans came within inches off adding another goal in the 88th minute of action off a free kick on the side of the 18-yard box. Freshman Matteo Busio (Greensboro, N.C./Western Guilford) took a soft touch on the kick and placed it in a dangerous spot just inside the box. Redshirt junior forward Christopher Reingen (Dusseldorf, Germany/Univ. of Dusseldorf) ripped a shot that was destined for the corner but Castillo had a fully-extended diving save to limit the damage to two goals.
Rohde picked up his second shutout of the season and lowered his goals against average to 1.11 on the season as he recorded one save in the victory. Castillo was forced to make five saves for the Vaqueros in the loss as UNCG out-shot UTRGV 14-11.
The Spartans will be off this week before retuning home for two more home games next weekend. UNCG will host North Florida next Friday night, September 18 before hosting Jacksonville the following Sunday.
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