University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Thursday, August 24
Asheville, NC
6 pm
UNC Asheville
1-0-0, 0-0-0
3
vs
1
Navy
0-1-0, 0-0-0
1st half1
2nd half2
FinalF
Navy
0
1
1
UNC Asheville
2
1
3
Bulldogs Stun Navy with 3-1 Win in Season Opener
08.24.2023 | Men's Soccer
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - UNC Asheville Men's Soccer stunned the United States Naval Academy for a 3-1 win at Greenwood Field Thursday night (Aug. 24). This marks the first time since 2015 that Asheville has beaten a team that advanced to the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship the previous season, when Asheville stunned then-Big South Conference member No. 4 Coastal Carolina 4-3 on Oct. 11, 2015.
Asheville would strike quick, with a ball being touched forward finding the feet of Seth Hammond in the 10th minute. Hammond was able to draw the Navy keeper out of the goal before finding a wide open Sergio Baguena to his right, picking up his first career assist on Baguena's first goal in an Asheville uniform. Asheville would continue to push the pace throughout the first half, before a ball played forward in the 42nd minute was controlled by Aysa Hamid who had a step on a Midshipmen defender. Hamid put a ball on net that was saved at point blank range by Navy keeper Pierce Holbrook but deflected right back to Hamid. Hamid cleared Holbrook to the right and stashed it home for his first goal as a Bulldog, the first of his college career and a 2-0 lead that Asheville would take to the half.
Navy responded quickly in the second half with a goal by Patriot League Preseason Midfielder of the Year David Jackson to cut the Asheville lead to 2-1, before Asheville would put home an insurance marker just 1:23 later to bring the match to its final score. Roger Sanguinetti made a run toward the box from the far edge, drawing the attention of two Midshipmen defenders. Sanguinetti stopped and teed one up for a hard-charging Sam Pitts-Eckersall, who torched the twine with his first goal of the season off Sanguinetti's first Asheville assist.
Asheville totaled 12 shots and four corner kicks in the match as a team. Hamid led the Bulldogs with a match-high three shots in the contest, setting a new career-high. Brendan Herb posted two shots in the match, while Griffin Stidham, Pitts-Eckersall, Hammond, Baguena, Edvin Grolimund, Michael Wilkerson and Conor Behan each had one. Charlie Farrar (1-0-0) made six saves in his first Division I win.
The Bulldogs (1-0-0) return to action on Sunday (Aug. 27) on the road at Georgia Southern. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. from Statesboro, Ga., with video and live stats available at www.uncabulldogs.com.
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Asheville would strike quick, with a ball being touched forward finding the feet of Seth Hammond in the 10th minute. Hammond was able to draw the Navy keeper out of the goal before finding a wide open Sergio Baguena to his right, picking up his first career assist on Baguena's first goal in an Asheville uniform. Asheville would continue to push the pace throughout the first half, before a ball played forward in the 42nd minute was controlled by Aysa Hamid who had a step on a Midshipmen defender. Hamid put a ball on net that was saved at point blank range by Navy keeper Pierce Holbrook but deflected right back to Hamid. Hamid cleared Holbrook to the right and stashed it home for his first goal as a Bulldog, the first of his college career and a 2-0 lead that Asheville would take to the half.
Navy responded quickly in the second half with a goal by Patriot League Preseason Midfielder of the Year David Jackson to cut the Asheville lead to 2-1, before Asheville would put home an insurance marker just 1:23 later to bring the match to its final score. Roger Sanguinetti made a run toward the box from the far edge, drawing the attention of two Midshipmen defenders. Sanguinetti stopped and teed one up for a hard-charging Sam Pitts-Eckersall, who torched the twine with his first goal of the season off Sanguinetti's first Asheville assist.
Asheville totaled 12 shots and four corner kicks in the match as a team. Hamid led the Bulldogs with a match-high three shots in the contest, setting a new career-high. Brendan Herb posted two shots in the match, while Griffin Stidham, Pitts-Eckersall, Hammond, Baguena, Edvin Grolimund, Michael Wilkerson and Conor Behan each had one. Charlie Farrar (1-0-0) made six saves in his first Division I win.
The Bulldogs (1-0-0) return to action on Sunday (Aug. 27) on the road at Georgia Southern. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. from Statesboro, Ga., with video and live stats available at www.uncabulldogs.com.
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Team Stats
NAV
AVL
Goals
1
3
Shots
15
12
Shots on Goal
8
7
Saves
4
6
Corners
7
4
Fouls
10
10
Scoring Plays
Sergio Baguena (1)
Assisted By: Seth Hammond , Brendan Herb
GOAL by AVL Baguena, Sergio Assist by Hammond, Seth and Herb, Brendan.
09:04
Aysa Hamid (1)
Assisted By: Conor Behan
GOAL by AVL Hamid, Aysa Assist by Behan, Conor.
41:07
David Jackson (1)
GOAL by NAV Jackson, David.
46:01
Sam Pitts-Eckersall (1)
Assisted By: Roger Sanguinetti , Pablo Obrador
GOAL by AVL Pitts-Eckersall, Sam Assist by Sanguinetti, Roger and Obrador, Pablo.
47:24
Game Leaders
fwd
Shots
3
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
1
Players Mentioned
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GK
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/ Men's Soccer
M/F
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D/M
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D
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