Men’s soccer on a roll after rocky start

By Dan Kelly
Assistant Sports Editor

The UNCP men’s soccer team has been impressive in the last two weeks, going undefeated by capturing four wins and one tie.

The streak started in dominant fashion with a 5-0 win over St. Andrews and continued with a close 3-2 victory over Belmont Abbey. A dramatic game at home against the Catawba Indians ended in a tie, breaking the Braves’ winning streak. They then reeled off two consecutive shutouts, as they defeated Limestone, 4-0, and captured their first road win against Coker College, 2-0.

Photo by Joel Beachum Miguel Ferrer (left) evades Limestone’s Sean Boyle in a Braves’ victory.

The most recent games against Limestone and Coker were cases where the Braves simply outmatched their opponents, but still did not satisfy their coach with the abundance of missed scoring opportunities.

Despite 30 shots, 16 on goal, over the two games, the Braves only managed six goals. Senior John Cooper, junior Jose Sanchez and sophomore Tuncay Dilek were the lone scorers in the shutouts, posting two goals each.

Head coach Mike Schaeffer believed that the game against Belmont Abbey was not as close as it appeared to be, with the Braves essentially controlling the flow of the game.

“We didn’t put away the opportunities that we needed to just bury them. (We) let them get one back right after we scored the third goal,” Schaeffer said.

Of all the games during the streak, the home game against Catawba is worth mentioning due to its abrupt changes in momentum and improbable finish.

The Braves looked to be in control early in the game with a goal by Michael Barnhorst in the 14th minute and the solid play of the defense.

The game took a twist at the 42nd minute of the first half when Indian forward Gareth Turnbull was able to get to a loose ball and connect on a bicycle kick for a goal. The game remained tied until the 75th minute when Turnbull struck again for a go-ahead goal for the Indians.

The Braves remained determined, as Bjorn Beck scored a goal in the 84th minute and John Cooper added another in 87th minute.

With two seconds left, the Indians were able to get by the Braves’ defenders and score to tie the game.