Box Score Game Stats

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.- The Wofford men’s soccer team traveled to the esteemed Fetzer Field Tuesday evening to challenge the  No. 3 nationally ranked North Carolina Tar Heels. The Terriers shocked Carolina in the second half, taking the lead off a penalty kick knocked in by Armin Kinigadner. Coach Polson’s team held the lead until two minutes left in the game, when the Tar Heels scrambled to tie the score, sending the match into sudden victory overtime. Five minutes into the first overtime, the Tar Heels were awarded a free kick from the top of the 18’, taking advantage of the positioning and sending the ball in to win the game. The match ended in sudden victory, 2-1. The epic finish gives Wofford a 1-4-1 record, while sending the nationally ranked Tar Heels to a 4-1 record for the year.

The Terriers took to the field on a cloudless night under the stadium lights, taking an aggressive start as they began the match with the ball on kickoff. Coach Polson developed a different strategy for the Tar Heels to account for their talented offense, dropping one of the forwards to the midfield and leaving Wilson Hood up top to challenge the Carolina defense.

The defending SoCon champs showed a fearless demeanor in the opening minutes of the game by pushing an early attack, having Kentrel Owens drive up the middle of the field and attempt a shot that was immediately blocked by an outstretched Carolina leg. At the nine minute mark, the Tar Heels mirrored the same play and defender Taylor Grim blocked the potential shot attempted by the Tar Heel’s Nick Urso.

After fending off a heavy offensive attacks from Carolina, the Terriers pulled together a string of counter-attacks with 35 minutes left in the first half, just missing a couple of opportunities to post a shot on goal. Seniors Hood and Armin Kinigadner kept applying pressure to the opposing goal in the 17th minute. Randy McLeod bodied off a Carolina attacker around the half-line, setting up a throw in taken by Billy Padula. The throw in was heaved into the middle of the box, bouncing to the feet of Armin Kinigadner, who had his shot blocked. The ball recoiled into the possession of Wilson Hood, who had his shot blocked as well by the opposing defender.

It seemed like a score was imminent in the 20th minute, when Wilson Hood streaked down center field on a breaking run, having only the keeper to beat, but the linesman threw his flag in the air to charge Hood for offsides. The Terriers took over ball possession after the offsides call, controlling the play of the game. Alex Hutchins had one of the best scoring in the first half, taking control of a punt from 30 yards out, dribbling to the top of the box and streamlining a shot just wide right of the net.

Dennis Moore entered the game with about 15 minutes left in the first half, and took advantage of his time on the field, drilling a shot from the edge of the 18’, to have it blocked by a Heels defender. The Tar Heel’s defenders were able to put their bodies in front of three Terrier shot attempts in the first half.

The Terrier defense stayed strong the entire first half, keeping the scoreboard blanked as they cleared every imposing threat attempted by Carolina.

Closing the first half, the Terriers drew even with the Tar Heels, keeping a 0-0 score with the no. 3 squad in college soccer. Wofford was able to produce four shot attempts, while North Carolina had five. Neither team was able to put a shot on frame in the first half.

The first twenty minutes of the second half was highlighted by the superb goalkeeping abilities of the sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Drennan. Drennan stopped two shots from North Carolina’s Michael Farfan and one from Edde Ababio, fisting two hard shots over the crossbar and keeping the match scoreless by charging the oncoming Ababio and stopping him short on a one-on-one opportunity.

The 70th minute proved to be a special time, producing the first goal of the match. Kinigadner controlled the ball inside the 18’ box, deked past a Tar Heel defender and was tackled from behind, giving the Terriers a penalty kick and the best scoring chance by either team all night. Kinigadner was given the opportunity to tie the game, and he easily pushed the ball into the left side-netting, fooling the Tar Heel goalkeeper.

The Terriers took the lead over the #3 team in the country at the 70:36 mark and kept the lead until the final two minutes of the game. Carolina’s Ababio caught a ball off a rebound, and knocked in the equalizer from eight yards out. The match was tied 1-1 with 2:21 seconds left.

The Terriers nearly took the win with the little time left, having Hood skim a ball inches over the top crossbar, out of the reach of the keeper’s gloves.

The end of regulation was called, sending the game into golden goal overtime, tied 1-1.

During the first overtime, the Tar Heels put the game away, dashing the hopes of an incredible upset by the Terriers. North Carolina was awarded a free kick at the top of the 18’ box, and was able to take advantage of the positioning, pushing the ball past the fortified wall of defenders and into the bottom left corner, just out of Drennan’s reach.

The final at the end of the first overtime was a 2-1 result. Hood and Kinigadner led the team in shots, with two, and Kinigadner accounted for the lone Terrier goal of the match. Drennan tallied four saves on the evening. Key players in the match were Kinigadner for his score, Andrew Eppelsheimer for shutting down one of the best offensive threats in the nation, Carolina’s Enzo Martinez, and Andrew Drennan who had some incredible saves to keep the match scoreless for 98 minutes.

The Wofford men’s soccer program travels to Mercer for their next match, September 26th at 5:00pm.

Be sure to check out the 2010 media guide HERE.

If you would like to be added to the men’s soccer contact list, please email osbornewb@wofford.edu.