Bucs win third straight home opener

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Aug. 28, 2012) – Junior David Geno (Kingsport, Tenn.) scored two first-half goals to lead the ETSU men’s soccer team to a, 3-1, victory over UNC Greensboro on Tuesday night in the home opener at Summers-Taylor Stadium.

ETSU (1-1-0) reeled off three straight goals following a 22nd-minute score from UNCG (0-1-1), with Geno scoring twice in less than four minutes and junior Nate Hodges (Meridian, Miss.) padding the lead in the 58th minute. Junior Itode Fubara (Ogbema, Nigeria) assisted two of the three scores, finding Geno on the first goal and Hodges on the final tally.

Redshirt junior goalkeeper Ryan Coulter (Dublin, Ireland) made seven saves on the night, including six in the first half, to earn his first victory of the season.

“It was a fantastic game,” ETSU head coach Scott Calabrese said. “I’m very proud of the effort and attitude the team brought tonight. This was exactly what we needed if we’re going to continue to be successful.

“UNCG is one of the top teams in the country, and has one of the most talented groups of attacking players. For us to perform the way we did against them tonight was good to see.”

The Spartans’ attack blasted 10 shots in the first half, but were held to just four in the second with only one shot coming on frame. For the game, UNCG outshot ETSU, 14-9, but the Buccaneers found the back of the net three times off their nine shots for their first two-goal win in the regular season since defeating then-No. 14 William and Mary in the Stihl Soccer Classic on Sept. 11 of last year.

ETSU was under fire through the opening 25 minutes, as the Spartans took five shots and a corner before ETSU registered an offensive stat. UNCG’s Dustin Gamradt took three of those shots, finding the back of the net with a remarkable goal on his third attempt by meeting the ball waist high and driving it into the left side from 20 yards out for the game’s first score.

Following the UNCG goal, ETSU stepped it up a notch with Blaike Woodruff (Georgetown, Texas) taking the Bucs’ first shot attempt in the 25th minute. Less than two minutes later, Geno struck for the equalizer after Franck Doumbe (Silver Spring, Md.) played a ball to Fubara, who dumped it off for Geno in the penalty box. Geno lined up the shot as the ball was rolling toward him, beating UNCG keeper Peyton Ford on the first of three goals he would allow.

ETSU’s next shot also came from Geno, and garnered the same result. Woodruff sent a cross in the box, which Geno dove for feet first and met in midair for the goal that eventually proved to be the game-winner. 

At the half, ETSU had taken just four shots, but found the goal twice for a, 2-1, locker room lead.

Harnessing a one-goal advantage, ETSU looked for some cushion and nearly got it from Geno. The junior took a shot on goal which Ford saved in the 53rd minute, and had a great chance to fine the net with a shot that beat Ford in the 56th minute but sailed high of the crossbar.

Instead, it was the defender Hodges who gave the Bucs some breathing room. Redshirt senior Colin Pugh (Dublin, Ireland) sent a cross in the box, which Fubara headed back to Hodges who struck for his second career goal.

Greensboro took four more shots the remainder of the game, but was denied each time as the Buccaneers celebrated a win in their home opener for the third straight year.

ETSU continues its stretch of three games in six days on Friday, when it travels to Clinton, S.C. for a 7 p.m. game with Presbyterian.

Notes

- Geno’s two goals tied him with five others, including himself, for most goals and most points in a single game at ETSU. The Bucs have never had a hat trick or five-point scorer in one game.

- Fubara’s two assists made him just the second Buccaneer in program history to record a multi-assist game. Former Buc Mohammad Bowers did so against USC Upstate on Oct. 27, 2009. Fubara’s two assists also tied him for first place in career assists at ETSU with Aaron Schoenfeld (10).

- Hodges’ goal was the second of his career. His other came last season on Oct. 2 at Summers-Taylor Stadium against Lipscomb.

- Kristoffer Ibsen (Aalborg, Denmark) and Maximilian Muemken (Muenster, Germany) made their ETSU debuts. Muemken also took his first career shot in the 85th minute.

- ETSU now leads the all-time series against UNCG 2-1-0. The Bucs are also 3-1-1 since their inaugural 2008 season in home openers.

- UNCG entered the game ranked No. 10 in the South Region.                                           

For more information on ETSU men’s soccer, please visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men’s soccer links.