Howard Men's Soccer Slips By Pittsburgh For First Victory
PITTSBURGH, PA --- It has been said that good things come to those who wait. For the Howard men's soccer team, the long wait for victory yielded something truly great.
Freshman forward McKinley Smith scored a goal in the 105th minute to give the Bison a 1-0 triumph over the University of Pittsburgh on Tuesday evening at the Petersen Sports Complex's Ambrose Urbanic Field.
For Howard (1-11-2, 0-0-1 Sun Belt), the victory was head coach Phillip Gyau's first as a collegiate head coach and gives the Bison's new conference, the Sun Belt, its first-ever win in men's soccer over an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponent. Pittsburgh's record fell to 3-7-3 (0-4-1 ACC)
With around 6:30 remaining in the second overtime, Smith dribbled the ball to the top of the box and fired a shot that was blocked by the Pitt defense. The Panthers advanced the ball, looking to reach their attacking third. However, senior defender Frederick Todd III intercepted a midfield pass and began the eventual game-winning sequence.
After a series of crafty passes, the ball found its way to the foot of freshman midfielder Stephen Douba near the right corner of the box. Douba sent a ground pass across the field, past senior defender Donny-Joshua Felix, who purposely stopped to allow the ball to pass him. The move created a lane for Smith, who gathered the ball with one touch and shot a right-footed strike past Pitt goalie Dan Lynd, who could only drop to a knee as the ball when into the lower right corner of the net.
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Panthers Fall to No. 16 North Carolina Tuesday Night
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – On a windy Tuesday night, the Georgia State men’s soccer team was defeated by No. 15 North Carolina at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Tar Heels scored three goals in the first half en route to the 4-0 victory on Oct. 14.
GSU had the first shot of the match in the fifth minute but Rashid Alarape’s effort was blocked. North Carolina responded with a chance of its own in the 6th minute but CJ Cochran made the save. Cochran was tested again in the 25th minute when Alan Winn got behind the Panthers’ defense. However, the senior goalkeeper was quick off his line to deny the attacker from close range.
Two minutes later the Tar Heels grabbed the lead when Andy Craven scored his eighth goal of the season. Winn found Tyler Engel who threaded a through ball to Craven, who slotted it into the bottom-left corner past a diving Cochran.
North Carolina doubled its lead in the 33rd minute when Nyambi Jabang made a quick turn and fired a shot from 35 yards out into the top-left corner. Jabang grabbed his second goal in the 43rd minute off a corner kick to give the Tar Heels a 3-0 lead after 45 minutes.
• North Carolina outshot Georgia State 8-1 and took all three corner kicks in the first half.
In the first 30 minutes of the second half the Tar Heels had four chances to extend their lead.
• First in the 49th minute Engel nearly scored but his shot hit the left post.
• Then in the 53rd Omar Holness had a chance but Cochran made the save.
• Cochran was forced to make another save on a shot by Zach Wright in the 67th minute.
• Finally, Walker Hume tested Cochran in the 75th minute but the GSU keeper recorded the save.
North Carolina finally broke through for its fourth goal in the 89th minute when Verneri Valimaa scored his second of the season. Valimaa received Wright’s pass and attacked from the right. He then chipped the ball over Cochran and into the back of the net.
• The Tar Heels took all 10 shots in the second half and three of four corners.
• GSU returns to the field on Saturday, Oct. 18 for a Sun Belt Conference match against Appalachian State in Boone, N.C.
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