College Men’s Soccer Final – Guilford 2, Hampden-Sydney 1

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Enrique Gudino (Greensboro, N.C./Ragsdale) and A.J. Hawkins both scored their first goals of the season in Guilford College’s 2-1 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) victory over visiting Hampden-Sydney College Wednesday night.

The Quakers (7-10, 2-8 ODAC) knew the match would mark their final contest of the season. The Tigers (6-8-2, 4-5-1 ODAC) were playing for a spot in the ODAC’s nine-team postseason tournament, which they ultimately did not receive.

Gudino got the Quakers on the scoreboard with an unorthodox goal in the 16th minute. As he dribbled through traffic inside the Tigers’ 18-yard box, a Hampden-Sydney defender came across to clear the ball away. Instead, the kick deflected off Gudino’s foot (or shin) and popped over the outstretched arms of Hampden-Sydney sophomore goalie Gray Sutter.

Despite the Tigers’ pressure, the goal stood as the only marker until Hawkins drilled a low, left-footed blast from 23 yards away that passed through Sutter’s hands and legs and into the goal. The senior’s first tally opened a 2-0 Guilford lead with 34 minutes to play.

Hampden-Sydney kept up the pressure throughout the game. It held a 17-8 edge in shots and took nine of the game’s 10 corners. The Tigers only managed three shots on target, however, including Spell Carr’s seventh goal of the season in the 64th minute that halved Guilford’s lead. Carr was in the right place at the right time after a corner kick that landed in a pile of players in front of Guilford’s goal squirted out to Carr, who slotted it home on a sharp angle from about 10 yards away.

With starting goalie Zach Van Kampen (Waxhaw, N.C./Cuthbertson) sidelined at halftime by an apparent injury, freshman Fisher Athey took over for the Quakers at halftime. His point-blank save on Jack Sweney in the 60th minute kept Hampden-Sydney scoreless until Carr broke through four minutes later. Athey and Van Kampen both finished with one save. Sutter made one stop for the Tigers.

Coach Corey Speed’s Quakers finished the year on a two-game winning streak and improved five wins over their 2017 total. Speed could return as many as 24 letter winners next year, including the top-five scorers and eight starters from this season’s club.