University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Liberty
Liberty Edges Men's Soccer 2-1
11.07.2009 | Men's Soccer
The victory was the first road win of the season for the Flames (10-4-3, 4-2-2 BSC) in six tries. The Bulldogs (6-11-2, 2-5-1 BSC) lost for the fifth straight time. Each team will play next in the quarterfinals of the Big South Conference Tournament on High Point. The pairings will be announced sometimes tonight or Sunday morning.
"Liberty is a very good team, and I thought we played quite well today and really competed for 90 minutes," explained Asheville coach Steve Cornish. "We fell just a little short this afternoon but if we can have an effort like this at the Big South Conference Tournament then we can make a run in the tourney."
The match was tied 1-1 and appeared to be going into overtime when Liberty scored in the 77th minute on a corner kick. Juan Nino flicked the ball into the goal area. Chris Phillips was able to get his foot on it and slipped it into the back of the net for a 2-1 Flames' lead at 77:37.
The Bulldogs just missed tying the match late when Jake Hagedorn's header sailed just wide with five minutes left.
Asheville controlled much of the first half as it out-shot the visitors, 8-7. However, the Flames came close to scoring when Phillip Aseweh had two great shots to score in the 20th minute. Aseweh first shot hit the cross bar. His second somehow went wide left of a wide open goal.
Asheville countered and Hagedorn hit a shot from five yards that appeared to be going into the goal but defender Greg White cleared the ball off the Liberty line in the 30th minute.
The Bulldogs fired a shot late in the first half that went off a Liberty defender's arm in the goal area as Asheville was awarded a penalty kick. Connor Holzinger took the PK for the home team and scored his third goal of the year at the 43:49 mark for a 1-0 lead.
Liberty got the equalizer early in the second half. Nino fed Darren Amoo who got loose on a breakaway. He scored from 10 yards out to knot the match at 1-1. It was his eighth goal of the season.
The Flames out-shot Asheville 12-5 in the second half and 19-13 for the game. Back-up goalkeeper Derrick Filip for the Bulldogs made five saves. Filip started for injured Asheville goalkeeper Lassi Hurskainen. Liberty goalkeeper Andrew Madero made one save.
