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Men's Soccer Advances to Big South Tournament Championship Game with 1-0 Win over UNC Asheville

       

Men's Soccer Advances to Big South Tournament Championship Game with 1-0 Win over UNC Asheville

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CONWAY, S.C. Second-seeded Coastal Carolina defeated sixth-seeded UNC Asheville 1-0 in the second semifinal game of the 2008 Big South Men’s Soccer Championship Friday at the Coastal Carolina Soccer Field on the campus of Coastal Carolina University.  The Chanticleers advance to Sunday’s championship game against No. 1 Winthrop at 2 p.m., and will make their first appearance in the title match since 2005, where Coastal Carolina defeated the Eagles 1-0 in overtime.

 

The match began slowly as both teams felt each other out in the opening 10 minutes. Coastal Carolina had the initial scoring chance, which came in the 30th minute. A Robert Hunter cross from 20 yards out found the foot of forward Ross Kelly, but Bulldog goalkeeper Lasi Hurskainen made the his first of several goal-saving stops.

 

The Chanticleer offensive attack was relentless throughout much of the opening frame. Another quality chance came with 12:52 remaining in the first half, as a Hunter corner kick found the head of teammate Thuba Nkomazana.  He headed the ball cleanly, but sent an attempt that flew narrowly over the crossbar.

 

The Bulldogs had their first serious threat on goal with in the 41st minute off a throw-in from Asheville’s Ryan Haupt deep in Chanticleer territory. The throw found a streaking Asheville forward Bryan George, but the alert Chanticleer keeper Phillip Latham raced off his line to make the stop on UNCA’s lone shot of the half.

 

The Chanticleers offensive persistence resulted in out-shooting Asheville by a 9-1 margin in the opening half.

 

The Bulldogs stepped up their offensive intensity early in the second half, using Coastal Carolina’s offensive pressure to their advantage and adapted a counter-attack style of offense. This was never more evident than in the 54th minute, as pair of Bulldog shots in Chanticleer territory was blocked, before a J.W. Gallagher attempt missed wide left. On the ensuing goal-kick, Colton Paschall managed to rip a shot from 15 yards out, but Latham was up to the task for the save.

 

Quality offensive chances were few and far between for both sides, as both defenses were on point for the majority of the second frame, until Coastal Carolina found the opportunity they were looking for with 8:59 remaining in the match. Chanticleer midfielder Tim Pittman corralled a ball near the mid-line, and sent a pass to Hunter, who sent a shot from 35 yards out to beat Hurskainen to his left to give Coastal Carolina the 1-0 lead.

 

The Chanticleers, clinging to the 1-0 lead, were successful in protecting the lead, and appeared to have the game won, until Bryan Bartels managed to squeak through a packed in Chanticleer defense and took a shot inside the 18 that was turned away by Latham in the final scoring chance of the match for either side.

 

Much like the first half, the Chanticleers out-shot the Bulldogs by a 8-2 margin in the second frame, and 17-3 on the match.

Latham made three saves to improve to 10-8-1 on the year, and Hurskainen made four stops, including several game- changing saves in the losing effort to fall to 7-8-4 on the year.

 

Coastal Carolina returns to the Championship game for the first time since 2005, and extends its Big South record for most championship game appearances to 11.  The Chanticleers are the first host institution in the title match since Birmingham-Southern in 2004, and will look to become the first host to win the Men’s Soccer Championship since Winthrop won on its home field in 2002.

 

 

Coastal Carolina improves to 10-9-1 on the year, while UNC Asheville ends its season at 7-8-4. 

 

The Chanticleers and the Eagles will meet in the Championship game for the third time in Big South history, with the Chants holding a 2-1 lead in the all-time series.  First kick Sunday is scheduled for 2:00pm.

 

 

QUOTES

 

UNC Asheville Head Coach Steve Cornish

“First and foremost, I would like to congratulate Coastal Carolina.  They were deserving winners.  We were fortunate to go in 0-0.  We gave it a go in the second half.  The game was very different in the second half.  It came down to who was going to score the first goal.  As an impartial observer, they would say over the course of 90 minutes, Coastal Carolina deserved to win.  No complaints there.  I think they will be worthy representatives of any final. We did what we could do.  Today wasn’t good enough.”

 

Coastal Carolina Head Coach Shaun Docking

“Again, I was very proud of our guys tonight against a very good Asheville team.  They’re very well coached and very well organized.  We managed to get a goal at the very end that was the difference in the game.  I’m very proud and very pleased the way our guys stuck at it tonight.”