No. 14 Men’s Soccer Rolls to 4-1 Win over VCU, Led by First-Time Scorers
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The No. 14-ranked UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men’s soccer team (1-0-0) put four goals past the VCU Rams (0-1-0) for a 4-1 victory Thursday night in a scorching start to the 2026 season at UNCG Soccer Stadium.
Head Coach Chris Rich’s side got off to a 2-0 start thanks to the first ever goals as Spartans from Filipe Matos and Bautista Schmidt. UNCG then held firm as the Rams pulled back a goal in the 51st minute to pull away thanks to a pair of late tallies four minutes apart.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Pablo Torre notched the first shot of the game at the 10:07 mark, a laser from outside the box that tested Rams keeper Manuel Monteiro early. His attempt from distance was a preview of how the Spartans would break the ice in the 24th minute, Matos cutting inside on his left foot after a find from Trym Linberg and curling a long-range strike into the far corner to make it 1-0.
Keaviano Francis saw another good attempt stopped by Monteiro in the 27th minute, UNCG pushing forward to try and double the lead. However it proved to be the last attempt on goal in the first half from either side, the score standing at 1-0 heading into the intermission.
The second goal did come just over three minutes following the restart as Matos turned provider. His corner picked out a rising Bautista Schmidt in the middle of the box, a powerful header unable to be stopped as the Spartans took a 2-0 advantage.
The Rams did finally get on the board in the 51st minute thanks to Jonas Hassel Pettersen, who smashed home VCU’s first on-target attempt of the night to pull the visitors back within one. Goalkeeper Seth Wilson would be called into action in the 74th minute to produce his lone stop of the game, a sprawling save on a header to keep the Spartans ahead.
Wilson’s effort proved key just minutes later as a mazy run from Linberg through several VCU defenders was capped off by a chipped goal from Torre in the 77th minute. Rich’s squad kept its foot on the gas and was rewarded in the 81st minute with Francis blasting an attempt past Monteiro from 20 yards to make it 4-1, sealing the result.
NOTES FROM THE MATCH
UNCG outshot the Rams 11-7, putting six attempts on target to just two for VCU.
Corner kicks were 3-2 in favor of the Spartans.
Along with notching his first UNCG goal, Matos’ assist gave him a three-point debut for the Spartans. Schmidt’s first goal for the Blue and Gold came in his sixth career appearance for the side.
The win was Linberg’s first multi-assist game and his second multi-point game with the Spartans. He notched a goal and an assist against Radford in last season’s opener.
UP NEXT
The No. 14 Spartans welcome the San Francisco Dons to UNCG Soccer Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 23, with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+.
Courtesy of Davis Fields
Strategic Communications Coordinator
UNC Greensboro