GREENSBORO, NC – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's soccer team had an explosive opening to Southern Conference (SoCon) play beating Furman University with a score of 5-1 Saturday night at UNCG Soccer Stadium.
J.C. Ngando,
Ismail El Harchi,
Steven Hernandez, and
Maycol Reyes all had a hand in the victory. This was the fourth goal this season with five goals for the Spartans.
The Spartans came into the game receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches national poll and seventh in the South region poll. They are also No. 16 in the TopDrawerSoccer poll, and No. 20 in the College Soccer News poll.
Furman came into the game No. 10 in the United Soccer Coaches South region.
From Head Coach Chris Rich
"Furman is a very good team and to get three points in the first game in conference play is huge. For us to continue to pursue our goals as a team for an at-large and to fight for a conference championship is important for us to get three points. I am very happy for the guys and happy for the performance tonight."
How it Happened:
A strong defensive showing by Furman in the opening minutes allowed UNCG to show some impressive passing and combination play. The Spartans were knocking on the door of the Paladins, with four shots within the first 20 minutes of the game. It was not until graduate student El Harchi found the back of the net in the 20
th minute.
Ngando took a set piece from the right side of the 18-yard box, slipping the ball through the Furman backline. El Harchi was able to get just enough on the ball to get it by the Paladins' goalkeeper, putting the Spartans on the board. The Spartan pressure did not let up and would eventually see UNCG leading with a 5-1 shot count at the half, three of which were on frame. Furman's one shot of the first half came in the 43
rd minute.
The Spartan defensive line had been a brick wall for the entire first half, continuing into the second, until the Paladins' Sam Miller was able to place the ball into the right corner of the goal, bringing the game to a 1-1 tie.
Four minutes after the equalizer, El Harchi struck again with a left footed finish after
Marco Afonso sent a through the ball behind the Furman back line, for a 2-1 advantage. He was not done there however, when Ngando served El Harchi who turned and played the ball off to freshman
Steven Hernandez. Hernandez found the back of the net and gave the Spartans a 3-1 lead in the 79
th minute. Thirty seconds later El Harchi drew a penalty, handing the ball off to Ngando who placed the ball neatly into the right corner of the net for a 4-1 advantage. The Spartans were not done and with eight minutes left in the game Ngando was able to slip a ball between the Furman back line and senior
Maycol Reyes was there to take a first-touch shot, giving the game a final score of UNCG with five goals and Furman with one.
By the Number:
· El Harchi notched his third and fourth goals of the season, along with his third assist.
· Hernandez scored his fifth goal of the season while Reyes got his third.
· Ngando had two assists and one goal.
· UNCG outshot Furman 22-4 with the Paladins getting two shots each half and the Spartans taking 14 shots in the second half.
·Ben Robertson of Furman had seven saves.
·Sam Miller of Furman had its lone goal.
Rich on the importance of scoring depth on the team
"It is important. The depth is a huge advantage for us. You want multiple guys to be able to score, while also having go-to guys. I have been challenging the guys to finish opportunities and tonight they did it. I was disappointed that we conceded a goal, but overall the depth was huge especially building our players' confidence."
Records:
UNCG: 6-1-3, 1-0-0 SoCon
Furman: 5-3-1, 0-1-0 SoCon
Up Next:
The Spartans will continue their home stand with a midweek game on Wednesday, October 5
th, taking on Elon for a non-conference match up. The kick-off time is at 7:00 p.m. at UNCG Soccer Stadium.
