Soccer dazzles home crowd

By Dan Kelly
Assistant Sports Editor

The UNCP men’s soccer squad gave the 179 fans in attendance of the team’s home opener an impressive showing with a 5-0 win over St. Andrews Presbyterian College on Aug. 31.

The Braves’ offense came in steady amounts throughout the game with first half goals from sophomore forward Tuncay Dilek and junior forward Trond Myrland. The good play continued in the second half, with goals from sophomore midfielder Mustapha El M’Hassani and freshman midfielder Michael Barnhorst.

The fifth score came from an own goal, when a Knights’ defender had the ball deflect off of his back and go into the net.

Photo by Carol Franch Micheal Barnhorst (17) and Miguel Ferrer (18) help the Braves defeat Belmont Abbey College 3-2 on Sept. 3

Barnhorst, freshman midfielder Miguel Ferrer and senior forward John Cooper each tallied one assist.

Defense. As blistering as the offense was, the defense was equally as impressive by allowing only four total shots and one shot on goal, leading to the shutout.

Head coach Mike Schaeffer was quick to praise all four defensive starters, especially freshman Steve Locker, in confounding the Knights’ offense.

The win comes after an unexpected 0-2 start to the season, with road losses to Cumberland and Lees-McRae. The Braves easily out-shot their opponents, 31-15, but were only able to score one goal total.

Coach Schaeffer believed that the level of play in the win was the same as it was during the previous games, but the goals just did not happen.

Offense. That offensive struggle was reflected early in the home-opener when Dilek missed a wide-open shot, to which he responded by falling to his knees in disbelief.

“A little déjà vu from the weekend, we needed that first goal, (we) had to get it in and once it did I think the guys got confident,” said coach Schaeffer after witnessing his team’s offense find the flow and consistency it needed.

Dilek, ironically, was the one who erased the team’s frustration by scoring the first goal of the game in the 20th minute and effectively sending the Braves on a roll.