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No. 2 UNCG advances to SoCon Men’s Soccer Championship title game
The Spartans will host No. 4 Belmont on Saturday, April 17, at 6 p.m. ET
GREENSBORO, N.C. – No. 2 seed UNCG advanced to the 2020-21 Southern Conference Men’s Soccer Championship title game with a 2-1 win over No. 3 seed ETSU in the semifinals on Saturday. The Spartans will host No. 4 seed Belmont in the championship title game on Saturday, April 17, at 6 p.m. ET.
UNCG will make its fourth straight appearance in the championship game and its 14th in program history, while Belmont will be making its first appearance.
The game was off to a slow start with only one shot on target within the first 20 minutes of the game, which came from UNCG’s Myson Darden just 53 seconds into the match. ETSU goalie Josh Perryman tallied his first save of the game from Darden’s early attempt. UNCG’s Mani Austmann attempted to find the back of the net with the Spartans’ second shot on goal of the game before the Bucs managed to power their first shot on goal at the 25:20 mark.
With 11 minutes left in the first half, ETSU’s Austin Bihlmeyer set up for a goal but wasn’t able to finish on his first shot of the game.
Theo Collomb, the SoCon co-freshman of the year, ended the 147 scoreless minutes between UNCG and ETSU’s back-to-back games with the first goal in the 37th minute off an assist from Austmann. Collomb tallied his conference-leading seventh goal of the season.
Perryman and UNCG’s Niclas Wild tallied two saves each entering the locker room at halftime, with UNCG holding the 1-0 advantage.
ETSU opened the second half with a corner kick in search for the equalizer; however, it went wide left past the goal frame. Less than one minute later at the 47:17 mark, Wild tallied his third save of the season off a shot from ETSU’s Dominic Foster.
Forward Fernando Garcia sought out another goal for UNCG that went high early in the second half.
Sophomore Angel Bacho scored his first career goal and eventual game-winning goal in the 61st minute. The San Antonio, Texas, native made it 2-0 with a back touch to bring it around off his left foot and sent it in for UNCG’s second goal of the game.
ETSU’s Jared Leheta took it behind the Spartans’ backline to place the Bucs on the board in the 71st minute for the team’s first goal of the game and the freshman’s sixth goal of the year. Teammate Cameron Carroll sent the ball back onto the field from a corner kick to attempt to tie the game in the 76th minute, but the Bucs fell short in their 2-1 loss.
UNCG will face Belmont in the championship match set for Saturday, April 17, in Greensboro, North Carolina. The tournament winner earns the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship.
2020-21 SoCon Men’s Soccer Championship
Friday, April 9 or Saturday, April 10
Semifinals (at No. 1 and No. 2 seeds)
Match 1: No. 4 Belmont 3, No. 1 Furman 1
Match 2: No. 2 UNCG 2, No. 3 ETSU 1
Saturday, April 17
Final (at highest remaining seed)
Match 3: No. 4 Belmont at No. 2 UNCG, 6 p.m. ET
UNCG will make its fourth straight appearance in the championship game and its 14th in program history, while Belmont will be making its first appearance.
The game was off to a slow start with only one shot on target within the first 20 minutes of the game, which came from UNCG’s Myson Darden just 53 seconds into the match. ETSU goalie Josh Perryman tallied his first save of the game from Darden’s early attempt. UNCG’s Mani Austmann attempted to find the back of the net with the Spartans’ second shot on goal of the game before the Bucs managed to power their first shot on goal at the 25:20 mark.
With 11 minutes left in the first half, ETSU’s Austin Bihlmeyer set up for a goal but wasn’t able to finish on his first shot of the game.
Theo Collomb, the SoCon co-freshman of the year, ended the 147 scoreless minutes between UNCG and ETSU’s back-to-back games with the first goal in the 37th minute off an assist from Austmann. Collomb tallied his conference-leading seventh goal of the season.
Perryman and UNCG’s Niclas Wild tallied two saves each entering the locker room at halftime, with UNCG holding the 1-0 advantage.
ETSU opened the second half with a corner kick in search for the equalizer; however, it went wide left past the goal frame. Less than one minute later at the 47:17 mark, Wild tallied his third save of the season off a shot from ETSU’s Dominic Foster.
Forward Fernando Garcia sought out another goal for UNCG that went high early in the second half.
Sophomore Angel Bacho scored his first career goal and eventual game-winning goal in the 61st minute. The San Antonio, Texas, native made it 2-0 with a back touch to bring it around off his left foot and sent it in for UNCG’s second goal of the game.
ETSU’s Jared Leheta took it behind the Spartans’ backline to place the Bucs on the board in the 71st minute for the team’s first goal of the game and the freshman’s sixth goal of the year. Teammate Cameron Carroll sent the ball back onto the field from a corner kick to attempt to tie the game in the 76th minute, but the Bucs fell short in their 2-1 loss.
UNCG will face Belmont in the championship match set for Saturday, April 17, in Greensboro, North Carolina. The tournament winner earns the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship.
2020-21 SoCon Men’s Soccer Championship
Friday, April 9 or Saturday, April 10
Semifinals (at No. 1 and No. 2 seeds)
Match 1: No. 4 Belmont 3, No. 1 Furman 1
Match 2: No. 2 UNCG 2, No. 3 ETSU 1
Saturday, April 17
Final (at highest remaining seed)
Match 3: No. 4 Belmont at No. 2 UNCG, 6 p.m. ET
-www.SoConSports.com-