BANNER ELK, N.C. – No. 8 Belmont Abbey scored in the 63rd minute and held the host No. 4 Lees-McRae men's soccer team scoreless for the full 90 minutes en route to clinching a 1-0 victory in the Conference Carolinas Quarterfinals this evening. With the win, the Crusaders will now face No. 1 Francis Marion in the semifinal round on Friday, Nov. 12.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Belmont Abbey – 1; Lees-McRae – 0
LOCATION: Tate Field – Banner Elk, North Carolina
RECORDS: Belmont Abbey (6-9-2), Lees-McRae (9-6-2)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Lees-McRae held the momentum early in the contest with back-to-back shots by Gray Smith hitting the right woodwork and being saved in the first 14 minutes of action.
- The Bobcats nearly broke the deadlock in the 32nd as Jesper Jonsson had a received a through ball from Aversano, but an unfortunate offsides call held the game at 0-0 at halftime.
- After Lees-McRae had multiple prime scoring chances early in the second half, Belmont Abbey took the lead with an unassisted goal in the 63rd minute.
- The Bobcats had a couple of final scoring opportunities late, including a shot on goal by Daniel Garvilla in the 76th minute and a shot by Rickson Hill that hit the woodwork in the 86th minute, but failed to even the score by the final whistle.
- Joshua Garvilla finished with four saves in net for the Bobcats.
FOR THE FOES:
- Trevor Mueller scored the lone goal for the Crusaders, while Ben Knust finished with four saves in goal.
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