Box Score GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's soccer team picked up its third straight victory to improve to 4-1-2 on the year as the Spartans gutted out a hard-fought 1-0 victory over visiting Coastal Carolina Tuesday night in front of 1,401 fans at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
Senior goalkeeper Logan Rohde (Cary, N.C./Greensboro College) turned in his best performance of his UNCG career, notching six saves, five of which came in the second half and all seemed to come at pivotal moments. The victory improves Rohde's record to 4-0-2 on the season and marks his third shutout of the season.
The first half saw each team battle hard in the midfield but only a few chances resulted for each team. The Spartans' first chance came in the 27th minute of action as sophomore Leeroy Maguraushe (Milton Keynes, England/Stantonbury) made a run and slotted a ball back across the goalmouth. Senior forward Damieon Thomas (St. Catherine, Jamaica/Georgia Military Institute) made space and ripped a shot from close range, but it sailed over the cross bar to keep the game scoreless.
Maguraushe and Thomas combined again in the 36th minute and this time it paid dividends. Maguraushe won the ball in the midfield and sent a through ball that sprung Thomas behind the Coastal Carolina backline. This time, Thomas would not be denied as he beat goalkeeper Braulio Linares-Ortiz low and the ball struck off the far post and into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead. The goal was the SoCon-leading fifth of the season for Thomas, all of which have come in the last three games.
Coastal Carolina, which has been to the NCAA Tournament the past six season and advanced to at least the second round five times during that stretch, started to come alive in the second half as the teams traded major chances. The Chanticleers had their first chance of the second half in the 51st minute of play as Martin Melchor got behind the UNCG defense. Melchor ripped a shot from 15-yards out but Rohde was able to punch it over the cross bar for the save.
The teams traded chance until Coastal Carolina was robbed by Rohde in the 68th minute. Melchor found space at the top of the 18-yard box after a scramble and ripped a shot towards goal. Frantzdy Pierrot deflected the shot with his head, making it change direction from 6-yards out. Rohde somehow got a glove on the ball and punched it over the bar to keep it a 1-0 game.
The Spartans came right back in the 69th minute as Thomas made a long run on the counter attack. He slotted a perfect ball through the Chanticleer defense, finding Maguraushe making a run. His shot from 16-yards out sailed just over the cross bar past Linares-Ortiz. The back-and-forth game saw Coastal Carolina with another prime chance in the 70th minute but again Rohde stood tall and stoned Pierrot on a breakaway.
With Coastal Carolina pushing for the game-tying goal in the final 10 minutes, the Spartans had the two best chances down the stretch. Maguraushe got behind the defense and went one-on-one with Linares-Ortiz but his shot from 18-yards out was saved. Sophomore forward Alexander Lewis (Arden, N.C./T.C. Roberson) had an opportunity with 1:10 left in the game as Linares-Ortiz came way out of his box to clear a ball. Lewis was able to flick it past the goalkeeper but his attempt from 50-yards went just wide of goal.
The Spartans will wrap up their three-game home stand and close out non-conference play Saturday night when they welcome in No. 24 West Virginia. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
-- UNCG --
