GREENSBORO, NC - The Hampden-Sydney College Tigers soccer team roared back into the win column by taking down the Pride of Greensboro College 6-0 on Thursday. The six goals marks the most scored since scoring six on Randolph-Macon on October 25, 2008, which is also the last time the Tigers have won by a score of 6-0.
The Tigers took it to the Pride from the opening kickoff, and the aggressiveness paid off with a corner kick in the eighth minute. Bryan Hughes (Midlothian, VA/Cosby) took a shot off the inside of his foot and scored off the corner kick as H-SC was credited with its first double assist of the season, with Nick DeProspero (Midlothian, VA/Cosby) and Curran Blackwell (Wilson, NC/Greenfield) each earning an assist.Matt Hampton (Virginia Beach, VA/Kellam) made a pass over the defense to a streaking Chris Whiteside (Virginia Beach, VA/Frank W. Cox) who ripped a shot into the near post for a goal at the 36:15 mark as the Tigers went into the half with a 2-0 lead. H-SC maintained control of the ball for a majority of the half, outshot the hosts 10-4, and held a 3-1 edge in corner kicks.
The Pride came out more aggressive to start the second half, but the Tiger offense would not be stopped on the day as Blackwell ran into the box to collect a header goal off a DeProspero corner kick to give DeProspero his second assist of the day just five minutes into the second half. Bryan Talbert (Seaford, VA/York) continued to pour it on with the fourth goal of the day. Bryan Wharton (Glen Allen, VA/Deep Run) tracked down a ball out wide and played it back to Gregorio Pacheco (Montclair, NJ/Montclair) who served in the ball to the back post. Talbert made a run behind the defense and headed in the ball in the 63rd minute.
DeProspero got in on the scoring action at 64:14. The Tiger defensive pressure forced a turnover in the midfield as Whiteside picked up the loose ball and fed a through ball on the ground to DeProspero. The pass left DeProspero with a 1-v-1 with the goalie. And he calmly slotted the ball into the lower left corner. The scoring concluded in the 70th minute on a rare own goal. Alex Thexton (Midlothian, VA/Cosby) gained possession of a loose ball and hit a low, driven cross into the box as it deflected off the foot of a Greensboro defender and into the goal.
DeProspero tallied one goal and two assists while Blackwell and Whiteside each found the back of the net while assisting on another score. Seven different Tigers recorded at least one points as five of the six goals were assisted. John Robert Plyler (Charlotte, NC/Myers Park) played 77 minutes in net with four saves for the win. Greensboro's Woody Wilder made eight stops at goalie. H-SC needed just 19 shots to score six times while GC registered 10 shots and the Tigers also held a 7-3 advantage in corner kicks.
Hampden-Sydney travels to play Mary Washington University in Fredricksburg, VA, on Saturday at 1 p.m. Live stats will be available at http://www.sidearmstats.com/umw/$msoc.old$1%20(92)/index.htm
