HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA - The Hampden-Sydney Tigers soccer team opened up its 2010 season with a bang as they exploded for five goals to defeat the Averett University Cougars 5-3. On the day, eight different players scored from both team combined, displaying offensive depth on both sides.
H-SC got on the board with a Nick DeProspero (Midlothian, VA/Cosby) goal just 1:48 into the contest as he fired in a shot from the left side and it bounced off a defender to narrowly reach past the goalie into the back of the net. Averett dodged a bullet in the 10th minute as Byran Wharton (Glen Allen, VA/Deep Run)was awarded a penalty kick, but his PK attempt and rebound shot were turned back by Averett goalie Nate Barker.
Averett fired back with a beautiful header off a free kick serve from nearly half field as Mark Anthony Liljeklev headed the ball into the back top right of the net past the outstrechted arms of diving goalkeeperJohn Robert Plyler (Charlotte, NC/Myers Park), leading him to suffering an injury that he would return from just 15 minutes later. The Cougars then took the lead in the 28th minute.
Hampden-Sydney narrowly missed out on going down 3-1 as Magnus Ferngren got a short one-on-one opportunity with the keeper, but the awkward angle led to Ferngren hitting the right post as the ball bounced out of the box. Wharton then evened the game at 2-2 in the 45th minute and the teams went into the half all even.
AU then drew the wrong end of a controversial call by the referee, as their third goal was wiped off the board due to an offsides at the 47:15 mark. Curran Blackwell (Wilson, NC/Greenfield) put the Tigers up 3-2 as he headed in a corner kick from DeProspero. A James Grogan goal in the 65th minute evened the game again at 3-3. Freshman Justin Pugh (Richmond, VA/Monocan) made a name for himself in his first collegiate game, as he came off the bench to post the game-winning fourth goal off a Matt Hampton (Virginia Beach, VA/Kellam) helper. Andrew Berg (Aberdeen, Scotland/International School of Aberdeen) tallied an insurance goal from a Will Hess (Hampton, VA/Kecoughtan) pass at the 80:44 mark as he sent a shot into the right side of the net that appeared to be a save, but it slipped under the hands of the goalie.
DeProspero finished the game with a goal and an assist and was the only Hampden-Sydney player to record three or more points as eight Tigers contributed a point or more to the winning effort. Plyler played 75 minutes in the net, making four saves and allowing two goals to earn the win. John Thrower registered two assists for the Cougars and Barker made seven stops in goal.
Hampden-Sydney travels to Atlanta, GA, this weekend to participate in the Sonny Carter Invitational at Emory University. H-SC battles Oglethorpe on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and plays host Emory on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
