ELON, N.C. – Behind Kasper Lehm's golden goal in the 98^th minute, the Elon University men's soccer team earned a thrilling 4-3 victory over interstate rival UNCW in a Colonial Athletic Association match on Saturday night, Oct. 9, at Rudd Field.
 
Lehm scored his first goal of the season off a feed from Scott Vatne to help the Phoenix improve to 6-5-1 on the season and 3-1-1 in the league standings. UNCW fell to 7-4-1 to snap its four-match unbeaten streak and moved to 2-2 in the CAA.
 
The Rundown
The opening stanza produced five goals between the two squads with UNCW coming out first with a goal inside the eighth minute. Jacob Evans was able to send a high cross to the box which found the head of Omar Aboutaleb, who placed it past the Phoenix defense for his fifth goal of the season and an early 1-0 Seahawks' lead.
 
Elon responded just over ten minutes later to tie the contest. Ben Rosenblatt played a cross off into the box from the right side, that was initially deflected away from the UNCW defense. The rebound found the foot of Jack Edwards just inside the top of the box, who fired a low strike towards the bottom left of the goal for his fifth score of the season to equalize the match at one-all. The Phoenix took the lead in the 23^rd minute. Elon earned a corner kick after a Vatne shot was knocked out of play. Jeppe Jordoson sent the kick towards the near post, which found the head of Jannik Videbaek for his first goal of the season and a Phoenix 2-1 lead. Elon kept applying pressure to the Seahawks, adding its third goal of the first half in the 38^th minute. Lehm played a cross near the top of the box where Calle Edelstam played it and blasted it into the back left corner for his first collegiate goal to extend Elon's lead to 3-1.
  UNCW cut the Phoenix's lead back to one just a minute later. The Seahawks' Cannon Tootle was able to position himself inside the box near the six-yard area to push a ball past Elon netminder Peter Wentzel to cut UNCW's deficit to 3-2.
 
Both teams went into the locker room with 15 combined shots taken with UNCW holding a slight 8-7 advantage. Elon had four shots on goal compared to three for the Seahawks.
 
In the second half, Elon was held to one total shot, while UNCW came out of halftime and blitzed the Phoenix with its 11 shots - five of those coming on goal.
 
UNCW however leveled the match in the 84^th minute. Elon deflected a free kick which then caromed into the box where a streaking Drew Rabil came in from the right side and was able to head it in to tie the match at 3-3.
 
The match would eventually head into overtime where Lehm would win it for the Phoenix. Vatne played a ball at the top of the box where he found Lehm streaking towards the goal on the left side. The junior defender then pushed a low shot towards to back right corner, giving the Phoenix the 4-3 victory.  Notes
• UNCW outshot the Phoenix, 20-9, in the match and had a 9-5 advantage in shots on goal. The Seahawks also won the corner kick battle, 6-2.
• The victory was Elon's first over UNCW since a 2-1 decision over the then 24^th-ranked Seahawks in 2015. The win deadlocks the series at 6-6-2.
• Wentzel made six saves in goal for the Phoenix, the second-most the redshirt junior has made in a game this season.
• Elon's four goals is its highest scoring output this season and the most for the maroon and gold since a 4-1 victory over College of Charleston in 2019.
 
Up Next
The Phoenix travels to Northeastern for the start of three straight road matches next Saturday, Oct. 16. That game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start time.