Box Score SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Junior defender Forrest Lasso scored the game-winning goal in the overtime period and freshman goalkeeper Garrett Closs made a huge penalty save in the 80th minute of the second half as the Wofford men's soccer team upset No. 16 Elon University 2-1 Saturday evening at Snyder Field.
The Terriers improve to 7-4-1 overall and 3-0-0 in the Southern Conference after the victory. With the loss, the Phoenix fall to 9-2-1 overall and 1-1-0 in the SoCon.
In the first half, Wofford would create the first chance in the third minute when Lasso had a header off a cross that was saved by Elon goalkeeper Nathan Dean. The Phoenix would respond with a chance when Daniel Lovitz had a shot saved by Closs in the ninth minute.
The Terriers would strike first in the 35th minute when sophomore midfielder Nestor Jaramillo would find junior defender Ryan Hurst on a long ball to the top of the 18-yard box. Hurst took a touch with his head past the defender and goalkeeper and fire a shot just outside the six-yard box into the goal for his first of the season making the score 1-0.
Wofford would create one final opportunity before the half when sophomore midfielder Will Puckett had a chance sail high over the goal in the 45th minute, keeping the score at 1-0 going into halftime.
In the second half, Wofford would have a couple chances, the best coming in the 47th minute off of Puckett who had his shot blocked by a defender just outside the 18-yard box.
Elon would begin the charge of getting back into the match with a couple of great chances. James Brace would have two chances in the 65th minute with one shot being blocked and the other sailing just wide.
The Phoenix would finally make the breakthrough in the 67th minute, when a shot from Brace inside the 18-yard box was deflected by a defender and floated into the net. It was Brace's sixth goal of the season.
Elon would continue putting on huge amounts of pressure when Matt Wescoe had three shots in a span of six minutes, starting in the 67th minute, all three missing wide.
Wofford would then respond with a chance to take the lead in the 70th minute when sophomore forward Connor Copeland had a shot from inside the 18-yard box miss just wide right of the goal.
In the 80th minute, Elon would be gifted with a penalty when Lasso fouled Wescoe inside the box. Wescoe stepped up to take the penalty and take a shot toward the lower right side of the net. Closs made a huge save pushing the ball out keeping the game deadlocked at 1-1.
Elon would get one final chance in regulation to find a winner but Jason Waterman's header in the 89th minute was tipped over the bar by Closs keeping the game at 1-1 going into the overtime period.
In the overtime period, the Phoenix would have the first chance to grab a game-winner when Waterman had a one-on-one chance with Closs miss just past the left post in the 94th minute.
Moments later, Wofford would clinch the game-winner in the 95th minute when Lasso fired a shot off a rebound into the net earning the victory for the Terriers.
For the match, Elon outshot Wofford 15-12 and also outcornered the Terriers 13-1.
In goal for Wofford, Closs earned his fourth victory of the season facing 15 Phoenix shots and made four huge saves. For Elon, Dean fell to his second loss of the season facing 12 Terrier shots and made three saves.
The men's soccer team is back in action on Tuesday October 15 when they travel to Boone, North Carolina to take on Southern Conference opponent Appalachian State at 7:00 pm. The Terriers return home on Saturday October 19 when they host UNC-Greensboro in Southern Conference play at Snyder Field starting at 6:00 pm.
