Photo Credit to Gerry Wall
BANNER ELK, N.C. --- Senior Jacob Copeland delivered his fifth match-winner on the season while the Lees-McRae men's soccer team outslugged Erskine, 3-2, in a Conference Carolinas Quarterfinal on a soggy Tuesday evening at Tate Field in Banner Elk, N.C.
The Bobcats (11-6) extend their win streak to seven matches; marking their longest streak since the 2009 season (11) when LMC finished runner-up in the NCAA Tournament. The Flying Fleet (4-11-3) saw their season come to an end despite holding a second half lead.
Copeland (Raleigh, N.C.) is one of the three players in the conference to have five match-winning goals.
Freshman Pol Vassart (Arnhem, France) put LMC up at the 12:56 mark when Thomas Deeley (Timaru, New Zealand) weaved his way through traffic before dishing off a one-touch pass to Vassart. Vassart didn't miss as he blasted a shot past the outstretched arms of EC's CJ Cluck.
Cluck finished the match with four saves.
The Flying Fleet responded less than three minutes later with the equalizer when Joe O'Neill found himself untouched after a Jake Lochstampfor shot hit the crossbar and landed at O'Neill's feet.
EC took a 2-1 lead in the 49th minute when Billy Gray found the back of the net following a scrum after a corner kick.
Deeley continued his fantastic sophomore campaign with a juke move to notch it at two at the 57:26 mark. Sophomore comrade Nathan Watt (Newcastle, United Kingdom) earned the assist with a perfect pass.
With less than 10 minutes remaining and overtime looming, Copeland came to the rescue with his second match-winner in four days (both against Erskine) when he cut through the Flying Fleet defense and scored after consecutive spot on passes from Deeley and Watt.
The Bobcats have only allowed six goals since Oct. 7.
LMC travels to Misenheimer, N.C. Friday, Nov. 6 for a CC Semifinal bout with No. 2-seeded Limestone at 4 p.m. The Bobcats bounced LC in last year's semifinal in double overtime.
- LMC -
