PEMBROKE – Josh Phelps and Ryan Thompson each logged their first goals of the season to help support a tremendous defensive effort that gave the UNC Pembroke men's soccer team a 2-0 victory over visiting Belmont Abbey on Wednesday evening at Varsity Grounds.
It is the second-straight win for the Braves (4-2-1) who improved to 5-13-1 all-time in the series with the Crusaders. It is the fourth-straight setback for Belmont Abbey (1-5) who has scored just two goals in the skid.
Tom Potter tacked up a pair of assists in the offensive effort, while Tyler Santee tallied an assist of his own. Goalkeeper Kenneth Perkinson made three saves on the way to his third shutout of the campaign.
A back-and-forth effort for much of the game's first 27 minutes, Phelps got the Braves off the mark at the 27:13 mark after getting on the back end of a double-assist effort from Potter and Santee. Santee found a wide open Potter in the penalty area, and Potter dished the ball to a nearby Phelps who finished with a cannon shot past Abbey netminder Luke Whelan.
Thompson picked up his first career goal nearly 14 minutes later when he corralled a rebound off a Potter strike and hit the back of the net just inside the near post.
Potter nearly stretched the Black & Gold's lead out to 3-0 in the 71st minute, but his 25-yard chip shot took a trio of bounces before careening off the woodwork.
UNCP will step back into Peach Belt Conference play this weekend when it heads back to Morrow, Ga., to take on league foe Clayton State (3-2-1, 0-1-0 PBC) at Laker Field. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.
