CARY, N.C. – The William Peace University Men's Soccer Team (4-3-1) handed Emory & Henry College (5-1) first loss of the season by a 2-1 score Tuesday evening at WakeMed Soccer Park. The Wasps see their program-best start of five wins come to an end at the hands of the Pacers.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – William Peace 2, Emory & Henry 1
LOCATION – Cary, N.C. – WakeMed Soccer Park
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (5-1, 0-0 ODAC); Piedmont (4-3-1, 0-2 USA South)
How It Happened
- The Wasps had a pair of chances in the first five minutes on corner kicks, but one shot went wide and the other was saved by the goalkeeper.
- Enrique Ochoa got WPU on the board late in the 19th minute.
- There were several other chances for both squads as the opening 45 progressed but the margin would remain 1-0 at the half.
- Five minutes after the break, William Peace doubled its lead as Chris DeLeon scored on a free kick after an E&H foul.
- Junior forward Jordan Couch (Abingdon, Va.) put the Wasps in business, scoring with 16:25 left to play. Sophomore defender Nathan Neisius (Powhatan, Va.) was credited with the assist.
- E&H had a chance in the final minute to force overtime as sophomore midfielder Tyequis Stallins (Chesapeake, Va.) had a one-on-one with the goalkeeper but the shot was saved, preserving the 2-1 final score.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- In addition to E&H's lone goal of the match, Couch finished with nine total shots including five on goal.
- Stallins, sophomore defender Joel Tidman (Milford, Va.) and freshman midfielder Jonathan Baca (Chesapeake, Va.) each had a shot on goal while freshman defender Massimo Tager (Asheville, N.C.) tallied a pair of shots.
- Senior goalkeeper Dider Grillet (Matthews, N.C.) stopped five shots in the contest, playing the full 90 minutes between the pipes.
William Peace Individual Leaders
- Ochoa provided the spark for the Pacers' offense with six shots (five shots on goal) and a score.
- DeLeon put both of his shots on target while Seth Cranford added two attempts.
- Christian Ortiz made seven saves in goal for WPU, picking up the complete-match win.
A Deeper Look
- Emory & Henry held a 15-12 lead on shots, and had an 8-7 advantage in shots on goal.
- The Wasps earned six corner kicks to just three by the Pacers.
- William Peace was called offside three times while E&H attackers committed two violations.
Notable
- Couch has scored in all six of E&H's matches so far this year.
- Emory & Henry's five-match winning streak to open the season was not only its best start to a year, but also the second-longest winning streak in program history. The Wasps won six matches in a row in the 1996 and 2006 campaigns.
- Tuesday's contest is the first time this season that the Wasps have scored fewer than three goals.
- The result evens the all-time series between the two schools to 1-1. E&H and WPU first met in 2014, a 3-2 win by the Wasps.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry will play its first of a three-match homestand on Saturday when it hosts Roanoke College to open Old Dominion Athletic Conference play.
- Kickoff between the Wasps and the Maroons is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
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-photo courtesy of Joey Gass