GREENSBORO, NC – With its fourth clean sheet of the season, the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's soccer team defeated in-state rival Elon University on Wednesday night at UNCG Soccer Stadium with a score of 2-0.
The Spartans came into the game receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches national poll and sixth in the South region poll. They are also No. 13 in the TopDrawerSoccer poll, and No. 22 in the College Soccer News poll.
The Phoenix are second in the United Soccer Coaches Atlantic Region and receiving votes in the national poll.
How it Happened:
The majority of the first half was spent in Elon's half. An offensively minded UNCG came out strong, taking a total of nine shots in the first frame and keeping Elon limited to two. A number of dangerous opportunities against the Elon back line gave the Spartans the chance to show off some combination play as well as individual skills.
Coming off a great week, after being named the SoCon Offensive Player of the Week,
Ismail El Harchi added to his goal total once more. In the 19
th minute of the match, Elon turned the ball over in its defensive third as El Harchi intercepted a pass. He cut the ball to his left foot, then came back to his right breaking up a defenders' momentum. El Harchi found himself right outside the top of the arc and drilled the ball with his right foot to successfully find the back of the net for a 1-0 advantage.
UNCG started the second half right where they left off, dominating the game. The ball stayed in Elon's half for much of the time. El Harchi later drew a foul around the 60
th minute of play inside the arc of the 18-yard box. The Spartans have proven to be dangerous on set pieces and this one would prove no different, as a short start on the set piece would find
J.C. Ngando roll the ball to
Jack Birch. Birch drove a shot in low, just inside the front left post to extend UNCG's lead to two.
The Phoenix seemed to come alive in the last ten minutes of the match. Elon was unable to make anything happen however as the Spartan's defense was there at every turn, blocking shots, shutting down opportunities, and forcing Elon to make mistakes. UNCG fended off the final couple of attempts by Elon, including three corner kicks by the Phoenix that they got off in the last five minutes of play.
By the Number:
- El Harchi tallied his fifth goal of the season.
- Birch scored his second goal of the season.
- Niclas Wild, in net, recorded his fourth clean sheet of the season and made two saves.
- UNCG outshot Elon 12-8.
- The Spartans continue to lead the series 14-11-1, with two-straight wins.
- UNCG's two goals bring Elon's goals against to six on the season.
Head Coach Chris Rich on the game and the importance of the win
"It is a huge performance by the guys. Elon is a top team, so well coached, and they had a very good resume coming into the game. We knew it was going to be a challenging game. It was a dogfight the entire game. The first half, we were playing our identity and we got a big-time goal by Ismail. In the second half, it was a battle. They were all over us for long periods of time and we were able to execute a set piece. We had to battle until the end. It felt like an NCAA Tournament level game. This is a type of team you want to play."
Records:
UNCG: 7-1-3, 1-0-0 SoCon
Elon: 7-3-1, 4-1-0 CAA
Up Next:
The Spartans hit the road and return to Southern Conference (SoCon) play against Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, Virginia on Saturday, October 8
th at 3:30 p.m. at Patchin Field.
