Box Score

ELON, N.C. – Reigning Southern Conference Player of the Year Chris Thomas scored two goals and added two assists as the Elon men’s soccer team opened up on offense with a 5-0 victory against the visiting North Florida Ospreys at Rudd Field under sunny skies on Sunday afternoon. Five different players tallied points in Elon’s (1-3-1) first win of the season. North Florida fell to 1-4 on the year.

“It was good to get the first win of the year,” noted Elon head coach Darren Powell. “The coaches were impressed with our energy and intensity from start to finish. It was nice to score a few goals along the way. Now we must use this as a springboard for the rest of the year as we look to compete against a talented unbeaten Campbell side.”

The Phoenix dominated possession for most of the game, finishing with a 22-4 edge in the shot column, including a 14-1 advantage in the first half. Just minutes into the contest, rookie Jason Waterman, who earned the first start of his collegiate career, served a great ball forward to junior Jordan Smith. Smith outran two defenders and forced North Florida keeper Federico Bertele to make a diving save. The ball glanced off Bertele’s fingertips and went wide of the net.

Midway through the half, forward Denzel Ogunyase had a terrific look at the net, getting a shot past the goalie but a North Florida player blocked the ball off the line to save the score.

Finally in the 33rd minute, Thomas and Daniel Lovitz combined for the first goal of the game. Both had just come off the bench and Thomas sent a short pass from the right side to Lovitz in the middle of the box. Lovitz punched home the goal from about eight yards out into the middle of the net. The points were the first of the year for both players.

Thomas wasted little time adding to his totals. With under five minutes to play in the half, junior midfielder Gabe Latigue sent a long pass forward. Thomas got ahead of the Osprey back line and notched his first goal of the year into the top left side of the net.

The second half continued much like the first with the Phoenix sending a barrage of shots at the North Florida defense. Archie Karpeh was the next Phoenix to connect at the 61:30 mark. With the ball in Elon’s offensive third, Latigue sent a pass wide left to Thomas who touched the ball back to the middle. Karpeh tapped the ball into an empty net after Bertele had come out of the goal toward the Thomas threat.

With 20 different field players seeing action, Elon used a variety of combinations in the game. In the 79th minute, Thomas made it 4-0 in favor of the Phoenix. Sophomore Glenn Scott got his first assist of the year, serving the ball into the box where Thomas chipped it over the goalie for his second score of the afternoon.

With time winding down, Scott took advantage of an Elon free kick, converting his first career goal on a driving shot to the far right corner from about 15 yards out in the 87th minute. Scott, Thomas and Latigue all had multi-point outings.

Elon will aim for back-to-back wins when the Phoenix takes to the road to challenge an undefeated Campbell team on Wednesday, September 14 at 7 p.m.