Elon Men’s Soccer – Wescoe’s Golden Goal Lifts Elon over UNCG, 2-1

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Matt Wescoe headed in the golden goal late in the second overtime to help the Elon men’s soccer team earn a 2-1 win at UNCG on Saturday night. Wescoe added his third game-winner of the year as Elon (12-4-1, 5-2 Southern Conference) overcame a 1-0 first half deficit in its SoCon regular season finale at UNCG Soccer Stadium.

After Elon was rewarded a corner in the 107th minute, Daniel Lovitz sent the ball into the box where Wescoe would eventually knock it his fourth score of the season for the win. The win locked up a top-two seed for the maroon and gold in the SoCon Tournament. The top four seeds will host a quarterfinals match in the tournament.

The Spartans were the more aggressive team in the first half with a 9-4 shot advantage and a 6-4 lead on corners. UNCG had a goal taken away because of offside early in the first half, but capitalized in the 41st minute on a score by Hakan Ilhan to put Elon behind, 1-0.

The Phoenix came alive in the second stanza with seven shots and five corner opportunities, but could not find the back of the net until the 77th minute, as Chris Thomas scored on a cross from Gabe Latigue from six yards out. Thomas was able to avenge from not converting on a penalty-kick in the 70th minute as the nation’s leading scorer added his 21st goal of the year.

UNCG earned a penalty kick in the 80th minute, but Elon keeper Nathan Dean made a great diving save to his left to keep it knotted at 1-1. Dean had five saves between the posts for the Phoenix.

Wescoe had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation after receiving a cross from the middle of the field in the box, but UNCG keeper Peyton Ford was able knock the ball away as time expired and the match went into an extra session.

The first period of extra time went by quietly with only three combined shots, but in the second overtime Elon controlled possession of the ball throughout preventing the Spartans from firing a shot.

It was the first meeting between Elon and UNCG since last year’s SoCon Tournament title match where the Phoenix came away with a 3-2 win.

Elon will host its final regular season game on Tuesday, Oct. 30, versus Duke. That match is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.