ELON, N.C. – Senior
Jack Edwards' golden goal header in the 105
th minute lifted the Elon University men's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Liberty on Monday night, Aug. 30, in the Phoenix's home opener at Rudd Field.
Elon improved to 2-0 on the season off Edwards' goal, his second game-winning goal of the young season. Liberty fell to 0-2. The win was also the 99
th career victory for Phoenix head coach
Marc Reeves.
The Phoenix ended the match with a 10-6 shot advantage with three shots on goal compared to just one for the Flames. Both teams were tied in corners with three each and in fouls with 10, although Liberty played the rest of the game with 10 men after the 71
st minute.
The Rundown
Liberty had the first best chance of the night just inside the second minute of action. The Flames' Michael Huss played an errant Phoenix header pass near the top of the box in Liberty's offensive third. Huss fired the ball to a back right post of the goal, but the ball sailed wide and out of harm's reach.
The Phoenix had its first shot on goal as
Jalen Weatherspoon fired an attempt near the top of the box near the 23
rd minute. Liberty's netminder Danny Cordero was able to make the save however to keep the match scoreless.
Elon got another shot on goal in the 28
th minute by
Mason Duval, but Cordero was there again with the save. That was the Phoenix's last threat of the half as both teams went into the break with seven total shots combined with Liberty holding a 4-3 edge.
In the second stanza, Liberty had its only attempt on goal in the 60
th minute. The Flames' Malik Smith took a cross and fired a shot towards Elon's
Peter Wentzel in goal, in which the keeper was able to knock it away and off the post.
Almost 12 minutes later with Elon on the attack, the Phoenix attempted to send a cross into the box, but the pass found the hand of a Liberty defender inside the 18. The handball foul gave Elon a penalty kick opportunity with the foul also being the second yellow on the Liberty defender and putting the Flames a man down for the remainder of the match. Elon however could not take advantage of the penalty, missing wide off the attempt to keep the match scoreless.
Both teams would eventually go into extra sessions deadlocked at 0-0. After an opening overtime period in which neither team attempted a shot, Elon found that evasive golden goal off the head of Edwards in the second extra session. Junior
Jeppe Jordoson played the ball to the left wing just outside the box to
Kasper Lehm, who sent a cross into the far post. Edwards was able to sail above Cordero to finish into the net to give Elon the 1-0 victory.
Lehm notched his second assist of the season on the game-winning play. Duval led the Phoenix with three total shots on the night.
Peter Wentzel earned his first shutout of the season in goal after playing every minute between the posts and making one save.
Up Next
Elon is on the road this weekend, traveling to Birmingham, Ala., to compete at the Soccer for the Cure tournament at UAB. The Phoenix will face Central Arkansas to open the tournament on Friday, Sept. 3 before facing UTRGV on Sunday, Sept. 5.
-- ELON --
