UNCG Men’s Soccer Wins Thriller Over ETSU to Earn Top Seed in SoCon Tournament
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men’s soccer team grinded its way to a 3-2 victory over the East Tennessee State University (ETSU) Buccaneers on Saturday night at UNCG Soccer Stadium.
The win secured UNCG a share of The Southern Conference (SoCon) Regular Season Championship as well as the top seed for the SoCon Tournament. It marks the 10th SoCon Championship for UNCG men’s soccer and the fourth in six seasons under the tutelage of Head Coach Chris Rich.
The Spartans also snapped ETSU’s 10-game unbeaten streak against SoCon opponents with the victory on Saturday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Spartans struck first with Yoshiya Okawa scoring off assists by Enzo Dovlo and Sami Lachekar with 9:50 elapsed. Lachekar started the rush that led to the goal with a through pass to Dovlo up the left side, who later found Okawa inside the 18-yard box where he scored with his left foot. Despite trailing 2-1 in corners at the break, the Spartans found themselves leading in shots, 5-3, as well as in the score column, 1-0.
Both sides traded two goals in the second half. Arnaud Tattevin scored the first goal of the half to give UNCG a 2-0 lead in the 58th minute when he scored on his first touch off a pass from Steven Hernandez. ETSU’s Gabriel Ramos then cut UNCG’s lead to 2-1 in the 63rd minute after scoring on assist from Oliver Einarsson. Dovlo then scored in the 73rd minute on another assist from Hernandez to push the Spartans’ lead back to two, 3-1. The Buccaneers answered quickly with Hubert Deragon receiving a pass from Ramos before scoring from long distance in the 74th minute. However, UNCG held ETSU in check the rest of the way to earn the 3-2 win.
BY THE NUMBERS
– Okawa scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season and had an assist for three points.
– Dovlo also posted a goal and an assist for three points.
– Hernandez led the Spartans with two assists in the match.
– Seth Wilson made two saves on the night.
– Wilson, Axel Alejandre, Jack Birch, Daniel Longo and Emmanuel Hagan each played the full 90 minutes.
– UNCG trailed ETSU in corner kicks, 6-4, and shots, 15-9.
RECORDS
UNCG: 10-2-4 (3-1-1 SoCon)
ETSU: 5-6-4 (3-1-1 SoCon)
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UP NEXT
UNCG has earned a first-round bye to the semifinals as the top seed for the 2024 SoCon Tournament and will compete on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 2:00 p.m. in Greensboro. The Spartans will face the winner of next Friday’s (Nov. 8) quarterfinal matchup between fourth-seed Furman and fifth-seed Mercer, which starts at 7:00 p.m. at UNCG Soccer Stadium.
Courtesy of Connor Wachtel
Strategic Communications Coordinator
UNC Greensboro
Men’s Soccer to Host SoCon Tournament as Top Seed with First-Round Bye
The Southern Conference Announces 2024 Soccer Tournament Bracket
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men’s soccer team has earned a first-round bye and the right to host at least part of the 2024 Southern Conference (SoCon) Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed.
UNCG clinched the top seed after defeating ETSU, 3-2, on Saturday night in Greensboro. The two teams finished tied with 10 points in the standings as Co-Regular Season Champions. The Spartans, who were predicted to finish third in the preseason poll, posted a 3-1-1 league mark this season to claim their 10th regular season title and third in the last four years.
The tournament will begin with the quarterfinal round on Friday, Nov. 8, and continue with the semifinal round set for Sunday, Nov. 10, with both rounds hosted by No. 1 seed UNCG and No. 2 seed ETSU. The championship will be played at the highest remaining seed’s campus on Saturday, Nov. 16 or Sunday, Nov. 17.
UNCG is led on offense by Yoshiya Okawa and Arnaud Tattevin, who have eight and seven goals, respectively. The Spartans, now 10-2-4 overall, will face the winner of No. 4 Furman and No. 5 Mercer in the SoCon Semifinals on Sunday, Nov. 10, in Greensboro, North Carolina, at 2:00 p.m.
Furman posted a 7-3-4 overall mark and went 2-1-2 in league play, earning the No. 4 seed in the 2024 SoCon Championship. Mercer, which went 6-4-7 overall and 1-2-2 in league play, will be on the other end of the quarterfinal match-up facing Furman after earning the No. 5 seed.
The tournament winner earns the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship.
2024 SoCon Men’s Soccer Championship
Friday, Nov. 8
Quarterfinals (at No. 1 & No. 2 seeds)
Match 1: No. 4 Furman vs. No. 5 Mercer at 7 p.m. (Greensboro, N.C.)
Match 2: No. 3 Wofford vs. No. 6 VMI at 1 p.m. (Johnson City, Tenn.)
Sunday, Nov. 10
Semifinals (at No. 1 & No. 2 seeds)
Match 3: No. 1 UNCG vs. Match 1 winner at 2 p.m. (Greensboro, N.C.)
Match 4: No. 2 ETSU vs. Match 2 winner at 2 p.m. (Johnson City, Tenn.)
Saturday, Nov. 16 or Sunday, Nov. 17
Final (at highest remaining seed, location TBD)
Match 5: Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4, TBD
PURCHASE UNCG GEAR
Click here for your one-stop shop for all of your official UNCG merchandise! From apparel to accessories, there is something for everyone!
Courtesy of Connor Wachtel
Strategic Communications Coordinator
UNC Greensboro