Box Score GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's soccer team returned to the win column Sunday afternoon as the Spartans posted a 1-0 victory over Jacksonville at the UNCG Soccer Stadium in their final home non-conference game of the year. UNCG returns to action Wednesday night as it travels to intra-Triad rival High Point.
The Spartans out-shot the Dolphins 20-9 in the commanding victory as they improved to 4-2-1 on the season while Jacksonville falls to 2-4-1 on the year. Senior goalkeeper Logan Rohde (Cary, N.C./Greensboro College) posted his third shutout of the season as he tallied two saves in the victory.
UNCG had the game's first quality scoring chance in the 30th minute of play. Senior forward Jacques Francois (Port Au Prince, Haiti/Louisburg College) made a run into the box and ripped a shot from 15-yards out. Jacksonville goalkeeper Patrick Harding made a diving save but the rebound popped out to the side. Freshman Leeroy Maguraushe (Milton Keynes, England/Stantonbury) had a go at the rebound but a Dolphin defender deflected his shot just wide of the goal.
Jacksonville had its best chance in the first half in the 43rd minute of play. Martin Agredo found some room in the 18-yard box and got a shot off that Rohde was able to smother to keep the game scoreless.
The Spartans came out of the halftime break and quickly took the 1-0 lead, scoring just 1:16 into the second half. Junior defender Jordan Poarch (Middletown, Del./Virginia) made a run down the right-hand side and was able to turn the corner on his defender. Poarch sent a cross into the box where junior forward Damieon Thomas (St. Catherine, Jamaica/Georgia Military College) got enough of his foot on the ball to redirect it past Harding from 8-yards out. The goal was the fourth of the season for Thomas, tying him for team-high marks with Maguraushe.
The Spartans came within inches of taking a two-goal lead in the 62nd minute of play. Francois sent a long through ball into the box where it found senior Ben Burdon (Charlotte, N.C./High Point). Burdon got in alone with Harding but his attempt was thwarted. Redshirt sophomore midfielder Rouven Wahlfeldt (Velbert, Germany/Gymnasium Waldstrasse) had a run at the rebound but he pushed it just wide of the near post.
Jacksonville looked like it would tie the game in the 81st minute of play. Jack Burns found an opening from 20-yards out and ripped a shot that got past Rohde but it struck the post and popped back into play. UNCG had its final chance of the game in the 88th minute of play as Maguraushe again found Burdon behind the defense. He got to the ball at the same time Harding did and the ball popped just wide of the goal.
The Spartans will hit the road for their final two non-conference games of the year this week. UNCG will travel to rival High Point Wednesday night before making the trip to West Virginia Saturday afternoon. The Spartans open Southern Conference play Tuesday, September 28 when they host Mercer at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
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