Men’s Soccer Falls in PK Shootout to Furman in SoCon Semifinals
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's soccer team fell in The Southern Conference (SoCon) Tournament Semifinals to Furman in penalties, 6-5, after finishing tied, 1-1, on Sunday afternoon at UNCG Soccer Stadium.
The Spartans remained undefeated at home with an 8-0-2 mark at UNCG Soccer Stadium this season. It's UNCG's first time being undefeated at UNCG Soccer Stadium since finishing the 2002 campaign with an 8-0 home record.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Spartans controlled play during the first half. Arnaud Tattevin flirted with scoring in the 16th minute when he headed a corner kick from Yoshiya Okawa off the crossbar. Sami Lachekar then put the Spartans on top in the 26th minute when he drove a right-footed volley into the top-right corner. Okawa had a corner kick that was partially cleared out of by a Furman defender, which set up Lachekar.
The second half saw UNCG continue to control the game. However, in the 82nd minute the Spartans became shorthanded when Issah Haruna was shown a red card. The Paladins capitalized with 10 seconds to spare in the match, scoring at 89:50 to force overtime. Luke Hutzell was the goal-scorer on an assist from Ryan Wagner after Slade Starnes had his shot blocked to line up the chance.
After two scoreless 10-minute periods of overtime, both sides sent seven student-athletes to the penalty spot for a PK shootout. The shootout eventually went the way of Furman, 6-5, to advance to the SoCon Tournament Championship when Wagner found the top-left corner of the net.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Lachekar's tally was the first of his collegiate career.
- Seth Wilson made four saves in the match.
- Wilson, Axel Alejandre, Jack Birch, Daniel Longo and Emmanuel Hagan each played the full 110 minutes.
- UNCG led Furman in corner kicks, 6-2, and trailed in shots, 20-9, as well as shots on goal, 5-3.
RECORDS
UNCG: 10-2-5
FUR: 8-3-5
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UP NEXT
The 2024 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship bracket will be revealed during a selection show streamed on NCAA.com on Monday, Nov. 18 at 1:00 p.m.
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