Men's Soccer Heating Up

After a disappointing 1-4-1 start to the season, the Bulldogs have caught fire of late. UNC Asheville has managed a 5-2-1 mark over its last eight contests, a stretch that has included a tournament championship and a 2-1-1 conference record - good enough for third place in the Big South.

UNC Asheville defeated both Lipscomb and Belmont in mid-September to claim the title at the Hyatt Place Select Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee. It was the first tournament championship in more than 20 years for the Bulldogs, and a huge momentum boost for the program. Asheville followed the tournament up with a gritty showing on the road against nationally-ranked Kentucky, taking the lead on a Bryan Bartels goal but ultimately coming up just short. The Bulldogs returned home and took out a strong East Tennessee State side before beginning conference play. The Big South slate opened with High Point, one of the conference’s best this year. Despite being outshot 11-1 in the first half, Asheville took a 1-0 lead into the locker room, only to lose in a 2-1 heartbreaker. The Bulldogs responded three days later, rallying from a 2-0 second half deficit to force a draw with Presbyterian. At this point, Asheville set out on a grueling four game road trip, still searching for its first win in conference play. At Radford, the Bulldogs delivered a 1-0 victory behind J.J. Morrow’s first goal of the season and Lassi Hurskainen’s second shutout. On Saturday, UNC Asheville was in Virginia again, this time to take on VMI. The Bulldogs were again forced to play from behind, trailing 1-0 at the half, and again found a way to get the victory behind second half goals from freshmen Scott Himelein and Zachary Odum.

The keys to Asheville’s success thus far have been outstanding play in goal and a balanced offensive attack. Hurskainen leads the Big South in saves per match (6.85), and ranks second in save percentage (.824). Odum is the leading scorer with eight points, despite having started in only one match, but the Bulldogs have benefitted from a diverse attack. The team’s 16 goals have come from 10 different players, and Bryan George (the top returning scorer from last season and this year’s leader in shots) is poised to join that list.

The road will become more difficult for the third-place Bulldogs this weekend when they travel to Winthrop. The Eagles (8-2-2, 3-0-2) are ranked ninth in the South Atlantic Region and 46th in the nation. Senior Matthew Skonicki leads the Big South and is second in the NCAA with 11 goals on the season. The matchup is sure to be tough for UNC Asheville, but a third straight conference win on the road would place the Bulldogs among the league’s elite.