Geno scores team-leading seventh goal of season as Bucs settle for draw

 

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (October 24, 2011) – Sophomore David Geno (Kingsport, Tenn.) scored an early goal to put the ETSU men’s soccer team ahead of Clemson in front of a record 1,771 fans on Monday night at Summers-Taylor Stadium, but after a second half Tiger response the Bucs settled for a, 1-1 draw.

 

Geno’s goal was his team-leading seventh of the year, tying senior Aaron Schoenfeld (Knoxville, Tenn) for the single-season record which he set last year. Clemson (5-8-1, 3-4-0 ACC) marked the second and final ACC opponent on the Bucs’ schedule – ETSU (8-5-3, 2-4-1 A-Sun) defeated Virginia Tech, 1-0, earlier in the year - as ETSU finishes with a 1-0-1 record against the conference.

 

“I thought it was a very good game between both teams,” said ETSU head coach Scott Calabrese. “We started very strongly and had some great chances through the first half. Clemson came back into the game in the second half and made our lives very difficult with a couple of very good chances.

 

“Most importantly I want to thank the crowd that came out tonight. It was a fantastic atmosphere and we really appreciate the students, soccer community and local community for coming out to support us. It was a great event tonight.”

 

The record crowd broke the previous mark of 1,350 set at Summers-Taylor Stadium on October 30, 2010 when ETSU hosted then-No. 3 North Carolina.

 

The Bucs outshot the Clemson 16-13, putting six shots on goal to the Tigers’ three, but could not break through with the game-winner off shots from a total of nine different Buccaneers. Schoenfeld led the offensive charge with a game-high five shots.

 

Clemson came out with the game’s first two shots as Keegan Priest had the first shot of the game blocked and Ara Amirkhanian sailed an attempt high.

 

Five minutes went by before sophomore Itode Fubara (Ogbema, Nigeria) sent ETSU’s first shot wide of goal, but his next touch created some noise.

 

The A-Sun Preseason Player of the Year won the ball from a Clemson defender on the Tigers’ side of midfield and bolted down the sideline. Spotting Geno sprinting in towards the center of the box, Fubara crossed in a ball which Geno quickly touched over to his right foot and fired past Cody Mizell for the game’s first goal.

 

Minutes after going up, 1-0, ETSU nearly added to its lead. After a Clemson foul, Schoenfeld got a ball in the box and fired a threatening chance which was blocked out by the Tigers’ defense. The rebound fell to Jaron Westbrook (Round Rock, Texas) near the top of the box as he fired his first shot of the contest, but watched it go wide.

 

ETSU dominated the remainder first half behind the momentum of the record crowd after Geno’s goal, outshooting Clemson 7-4 and allowing no shots on goal.

 

1:50 into the second frame, the Tigers capitalized on an ETSU mistake to tie the match. Clemson’s Jack Metcalf took the ball up the far right side of the field with numbers as ETSU’s defense was not completely set. Metcalf then crossed in a ball to Austin Savage near goal and watched as Savage headed in his fifth goal of the year.

 

The goal was one of Savage’s team-high four shots and was also Clemson’s first shot on goal of the game.

 

Not until the 59:17 mark did sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Coulter (Dublin, Ireland) face his next challenge, this time stopping a shot by Clemson’s leading-goal scorer, Brynjar Benediktsson. The save was the first of two for Coulter on the night.

 

Midway through the second half, ETSU put on another dangerous flurry sparked by Clemson’s 10th foul of the match. With a ball sent into the box, Schoenfeld got another excellent chance for a goal but had his shot saved by a diving Mizell. With Mizell still on the ground, junior Alesi Osorio (Austin, Texas) met the ball in front of the Clemson keeper near the right post and pelted another attempt which Mizell stopped.

 

The outbreak was ETSU’s best chance to go ahead through the remainder of the half, as the two teams took a, 1-1, draw into overtime.

 

The first extra session saw Savage threaten with an early go at goal, before Fubara lined up for an ETSU corner at the halfway mark. His corner was eventually met by sophomore Blaike Woodruff (Georgetown, Texas), but the shot was sent high.

 

Schoenfeld’s and ETSU’s final burst for a goal came with just over a minute to play in the second overtime, but the senior captain had his shot blocked after collecting the rebound off his previous attempt, and the clock read zeros.

 

The Bucs now look forward to Saturday, October 29, when they play USC Upstate at 1 p.m. If ETSU defeats the Spartans on Saturday, they clinch a spot in the 2011 A-Sun Tournament.

 

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