GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's soccer team takes on Elon in a non-conference bout on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.

UNCG is riding an eight-game unbeaten streak and defeated its last two opponents at home. The Spartans have also shut out opponents in all six of their games at home this season.
 

THE SPARTANS LAST TIME OUT

• The Spartans earned a 1-0 win over the Furman Paladins in The Southern Conference (SoCon) action on Saturday night at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
• Senior midfielder Yoshiya Okawa scored the lone goal for the Spartans on a free kick in the 72nd minute after a handball was called from just outside the 18-yard box.
• Junior Tim Baerwalde made his first appearance as a Spartan and earned his fourth-collegiate clean sheet.
• The Spartans led in corners, 7-2, saves, 3-1, and trailed in shots, 13-6.

UNCG QUICK KICKS

• UNCG is 6-1-4 overall and 1-0-1 in the SoCon, which includes a 5-0-1 mark at home and 1-1-3 record so far on the road.
• UNCG jumped up four spots to No. 19 in this week's TopDrawerSoccer Men's College Soccer National Rankings, marking the fourth consecutive week in the poll.
• Among national statistical categories, the Spartans stand within the top 10 of the country as a team when it comes to save percentage (5th/.837), team goals against average (6th/.636) and shutout percentage (8th/.545).
• Throughout the SoCon, UNCG is ranked first in corner kicks per game (5.36), goal differential (10), save percentage, scoring offense (1.55), team goals against average, total goals (17) and won-loss-tied percentage (.727).
• Baerwalde and Seth Wilson have combined for six shutouts this season. Wilson ranks ninth in the country with five on the campaign. He was named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 27 and Sept. 17.
• Okawa leads the conference with five goals and 13 points. He has recorded all of his points in the last eight matches as well as three goals in the last week.
• Enzo Dovlo is second on the team with four goals and nine points.
• Mikey Ketteman ranks third on the Spartans with five points via two goals and an assist.
• Jack Birch is fourth on the Spartans with four points thanks to a pair of goals.
• Arnaud Tattevin is fifth on the team with three points. He led UNCG a season ago with seven goals for 14 points.
• The Spartans have appeared in the United Soccer Coaches Poll twice this season. UNCG broke into the first poll of the regular season on Aug. 27 at No. 18 before receiving votes the following week (Sept. 3).
• UNCG began the season facing three top-25 programs in its first seven games.
• The Spartans faced No. 16 Georgetown on the road and fell 1-0 on Aug. 30 before drawing, 0-0, at home against No. 19 Charlotte on Sept. 13 and tying No. 5 West Virginia on the road, 2-2, on Sept. 17.
• UNCG was selected to finish third in the 2024 SoCon Preseason Poll following voting completed by the league's six head coaches. UNCG received one first-place vote. Senior Basile Marc and Tattevin were named to the 11-member All-SoCon preseason team on Aug. 13.
• Head Coach Chris Rich is in his sixth season at the helm of UNCG's men's soccer program. He has guided the Spartans to a 52-29-19 (19-5-6 SoCon) record since 2019 and totaled nine or more victories in four of his first five seasons.
• Under Coach Rich, UNCG has won three SoCon Regular Season titles, won the SoCon Tournament twice and made a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances since 2019.
• The Spartans' roster has 15 returners this season, which includes six student-athletes who saw action in each of the team's 17 matches a season ago; Emmanuel Hagan and Marc, who started in all 17 competitions, as well as Colton Sessoms, Birch, Okawa and Donovan Roux.
• The Spartans' roster also consists of 13 newcomers for a total of 28 players on the roster.
• UNCG's recruiting class was ranked No. 44 in the country by TopDrawerSoccer on Aug. 21 and includes seven transfers and seven incoming freshmen.
• The new class positionally features a total of four defenders, three goalkeepers, two forwards, two midfielders, one midfielder/forward and one midfielder/defender.
• In total, the Spartans roster consists of nine forwards, seven midfielders, seven defenders, three goalkeepers and a pair of midfielder/defenders.

SCOUTING THE PHOENIX

• Elon is off to an 8-3-1 start overall as well as owning a 4-1-0 record in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).
• The Phoenix were last in action against Cape Fear Community College, where they won 10-0 in an exhibition match at home on Sunday. Their last official match was a 2-1 loss to No. 16 Duke in Elon last Tuesday.
• Senior midfielder Scott Vatne paces the Phoenix with 18 points (6g, 6a).
• Junior forward Colin Veltri is tied with Vatne at six goals and is second on the team with 15 points.
• Senior Tomasz Wroblewski has started all 12 matches for Elon in goal. He has three shutouts as well as a 1.08 goals against average and .772 save percentage.
• Elon ranks 19th in the country for total goals (25), 21st in goal differential (12) and 23rd in terms of total points (74).
• The Phoenix were voted to finish fourth in the CAA this season and currently stand in the top spot.
• Vatne and Victor Stromsten were named Preseason All-CAA.

THE SERIES HISTORY
The Spartans own a 13-8-2 advantage over the Phoenix in the all-time series. UNCG has prevailed by a final score of 2-0 in each of the prior two meetings, which were both in Greensboro, on Oct. 5, 2022, and Feb. 28, 2021.

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UP NEXT
The Spartans hit the road to resume their SoCon slate this Saturday, taking on Wofford at Snyder Field in Spartanburg, South Carolina, at 7:00 p.m.