Bears Rally From Deficit To Stun UNCP
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenoir-Rhyne (1-0-0) | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| UNC Pembroke (0-2-0) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Scoring Summary | |
|---|---|
| 1st - 25:48 | Tomter, Martin (UNC Pembroke) |
| 1st - 27:52 | Freeman, Paul (UNC Pembroke) |
| 1st - 37:59 | Martin Graham (Lenoir-Rhyne) |
| 2nd - 69:23 | Dave Bailey (Lenoir-Rhyne) |
| 2nd - 87:55 | Kyle Winterbottom (Lenoir-Rhyne) |
| Lenoir-Rhyne | UNC Pembroke |
|---|---|
|
G:
3 Players (#2, #6, #9 - 1)
A: 2 Players (#5, #8 - 1) Sh: Dave Bailey - 5 Sv: Tom Heath - 3 |
G:
2 Players (#13, #19 - 1)
A: Braxton Perkins - 2 Sh: Martin Tomter - 5 Sv: Ryan Hanson - 3 |
| TEAM STATISTICS | Lenoir-Rhyne | UNC Pembroke |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 13 (7) | 12 (6) |
| Saves | 4 | 4 |
| Fouls | 12 | 19 |
| Corner Kicks | 2 | 5 |
| Offsides | 4 | 2 |
PEMBROKE – UNCP scored a pair of goals in
a span of just more than two minutes midway through the first half
to take a commanding 2-0 lead, but visiting Lenoir-Rhyne netted a
score right before the half, and then added two more in the second,
to stun the home-standing Braves, 3-2, Sunday evening at Varsity
Grounds.
The Braves (0-2-0) got goals from freshmen Martin
Tomter and Paul Freeman,
while Braxton
Perkins contributed a pair of assists in the setback. Martin
Graham, Dave Bailey and Kyle Winterbottom each scored goals for
Lenoir-Rhyne (1-0-0), with Oriol Cortes and Sean Rogers tallying
assists.
The loss snapped a four-game series unbeaten streak for UNCP which
dated all the way back to the 2002 season. The win was the first
for the Bears since taking a 3-1 decision over the Braves during
the 1991 campaign.
"(The loss) was our own fault," said UNCP head coach Phil Hindson.
"We were up 2-0 and cruising, and then we made a mistake right
before halftime that changed the whole mentality of the game. From
then on, they gained momentum. It was just a terrible time to give
away a goal and that situation changed the whole game.
"We played well for the first 35 minutes, but then that mistake
just killed us. Unfortunately, we just could not recover. Until we
learn to communicate, be alert and clear balls under pressure,
we're not going to be very successful."
Although shots were at a premium in the first half, UNCP made the
most of its chances, as Tomter capped off a brilliant transition
opportunity with a strike that easily found its way past L-R
goalkeeper Tom Heath at the 25:48 mark. Freeman registered his
first collegiate goal just more than two minutes later, cashing in
on another Perkins assist to put the hosts up 2-0.
Graham finally got the visitors off the mark in the 38th minute
with a precision strike, hitting a 40-yard strike just off the
fingertips of UNCP goalkeeper Ryan Hanson.
The 2-1 score would hold up heading into the intermission.
The Braves, again, had all the momentum in the early part of the
second period, but back-and-forth physical play only resulted in a
series of fouls and yellow cards for both sides. Staunch pressure
produced a corner kick for the Bears in the 70th minute and Cortes'
perfect service into the box caught the head of Bailey who
redirected to the bottom left corner for the Equalizer.
Winterbottom would have the final say of the game, however, as the
Englishman came out of a scuffle in the penalty area and found
space to fire a shot past Hanson for the game-winner.
UNCP will continue a season-opening five-game home stand on
Wednesday when the Braves suit up to battle Barton (0-2-0) in a
7:30 p.m. contest at Varsity Grounds. Admission to all 2010 UNCP
soccer home games is free.