Bulldogs Fall in Final Nonconference Test of the Season

CINCINNATI – In its final nonconference matchup of the season, UNC Asheville's men's soccer team fell, 4-0, on the road against Xavier, Tuesday night.

The Bulldogs (3-11-1, 2-4 Big South) fell into an early hole as Xavier's leading goal-scorer, Sergi Samson, scored his eighth of the season just four minutes into the match. The Musketeers (8-6-1, 3-4 Big East) scored in the 22nd minute, this time from their second leading goal-scorer, Karsen Henderlong, to take a 2-0 lead into halftime.

Midfielder Frank Morales put pressure on the Musketeers early, firing shot just 13 seconds into the match, but his attempt sailed wide. The Bulldogs did not get another shot off in the first frame until the waning seconds of the half, as Colin Daughtry's strike also ended up wide of the net.

The Bulldogs doubled their shot attempts in the second half, as Miles Peay and Ben Katt both got off looks in the first 10 minutes, but neither tested the Xavier keeper. Dino Dziergas had an attempt go wide in the 77th minute, and Noe Varner was finally able to get one on frame for the Bulldogs, putting a shot on goal in the 81st minute.

Xavier would double its lead in the second half however, scoring one in the 57th minute and another in the 70th.

The Bulldogs return to action and Big South competition when they travel to Longwood for a 7 p.m., Saturday, matchup and third of three-straight matches on the road.

MENNELL'S MUSINGS
"Any time you go on the road and play a power school, it's a tough task. There were some moments tonight when we were really good, but when we make errors on set pieces and let our guard down, Xavier is good enough to punish us for it. I thought we grew into the game. At halftime it's 2-0, but then we give up two set pieces and we don't execute the things we know we need to do. That's a frustrating thing as a coach, but the guys' effort was fantastic. They kept fighting until the very end, and I think there's some valuable lessons to be gained from playing an opponent like Xavier. That being said, it's our last nonconference game and now we have the stretch run of Big South play with a very good opponent in Longwood on the road and everything we want to accomplish in our control. We'll get the recovery process started tonight, travel back to Asheville and get in two good days of training before we head up to Farmville to take on the Lancers. I'm not pleased in any way with the result, but there were some good things. Soccer can be a humbling game and we're learning a lot of lessons, and now we need to take the next step in the lessons we're learning and apply them to future games." – Head Coach Mathes Mennell

Bulldogs Fall in Final Nonconference Test of the Season

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Team Stats

Ben Katt

Miles Peay

Noe Varner

Frank Morales

Players Mentioned

Colin Daughtry

Dino Dziergas

Ben Katt

Frank Morales

Miles Peay

Noe Varner

Players Mentioned

Colin Daughtry

Dino Dziergas

Ben Katt

Frank Morales

Miles Peay

Noe Varner

University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics